"Apart from being safe from all the possible angles including earthquake, this bridge would be absolutely safe to sustain terror strike and every precautionary step is being considered to make it foolproof," Konkan Railway Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Gupta told reporters who visited the bridge site.
"I want to assure you all that this bridge would be most safe and perfect way to travel," said Gupta.
"We are making the bridge to be terror-proof. We have taken logistical support of DRDO officials and when completed, the bridge's pillar and other parts can sustain a jolt created by 40 kg of RDX with no immediate adverse effect on the operation of the trains," another senior official said.
The bridge project passes through the interiors of Reasi and Banihal districts in Jammu & Kashmir having active militancy in adjacent areas, and owing to the adverse law and order situation, "we are executing the project under the supervision and suggestions of security forces," he said.
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However, in 2008 the work was stopped amid fears over its stability and safety, and its construction restarted in 2010 which officials hope to complete by early 2019.
Apart from the bridge, the KR, in its 35 km-long stretch
of construction, is also building 14 tunnels, out of which 12 are completed and two other tunnels would be ready in next one-and-half year.
Terming the ongoing construction work as most extra-ordinary, the project's chief engineer R K Hegde said, "Not only the bridges, tunnels and emergency tunnels that we are building, we have also built the approach roads up to 124 kms along with the project stretch, which are widely used by villagers. The roads have solved their connectivity problems."
Replying to a query on whether the project missed the deadline for want of funds, Gupta said, "This national project is personally being monitored by the Prime Minister's Office and there was no shortage of funds."
"Out of Rs 6,100 crore, the estimated cost of the project, we have utilised almost Rs 2,900 crore," he said, adding that they have mobilised a team of about 200 staff and engineers for executing the project from three camps at Reasi, Kauri and Sangaldan.