NH-44 connectivity restored before Yatra: Gadkari
Ahead of the beginning of the Amarnath Yatra from July 3, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, on Thursday said the flood-damaged bridges over the Ravi River and Sehar Khad near Kalibari on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) have been restored, re-establishing a vital road link between Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
The Union Minister said the restored infrastructure would also provide a major boost to travel during the upcoming annual Amarnath Yatra by improving connectivity along the route.
In a post on X, Gadkari said the bridges had sustained extensive damage during last year’s flash floods, severely disrupting traffic along the strategically important highway. He said the restoration work was taken up on priority in view of the highway’s strategic and economic significance and was completed within the stipulated timeline.
“The reopening of these bridges will ensure seamless connectivity and facilitate the smooth movement of passengers and freight,” the minister said.
In the Kashmir valley, the Gondola services were resumed in Gulmarg, a month after a technical snag forced the closure of the services.
On May 25, the army, police, NDRF and SDRF launched a rescue operation after the Gulmarg Cable Car services developed a technical snag, leaving more than 300 tourists and local guides stranded mid-air.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah oversaw the official resumption of the Gulmarg Gondola service, marking the full restoration of its operations. Omar said the services were restarted only after the French firm Puma certified repair work. On the other hand, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) also restored road connectivity between Gulabgarh and Machail in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district with the operationalisation of a 140-foot bailey bridge at cloudburst-hit Chishoti.
The bridge was virtually inaugurated by White Knight Corps Commander Lt Gen P K Mishra on Thursday, in the presence of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly leader of opposition and Padder-Nagseni MLA Sunil Kumar Sharma, officials said.
The triple-double reinforced Bailey bridge replaces the earlier structure, which was washed away in a devastating cloudburst on August 14, 2025, severing the only road link to the remote Machail region, they said.
A cloudburst struck Chisoti village, the gateway to the Machail Mata temple in Kishtwar district, on August 14 last year, killing 65 people, mostly pilgrims, while more than 30 persons are still missing.
