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The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has restored road connectivity between Gulabgarh and Machail in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district by operationalising a 140-foot triple-double reinforced Bailey bridge at Chishoti, replacing a structure destroyed in a cloudburst last year. Built in just 12 days by the 118 Road Construction Company under Project Sampark, the bridge reconnects the remote Machail region before the annual Machail Mata Yatra begins in July. The project reinstates the only road access to the area, supports local communities, strengthens connectivity along a strategically significant corridor and reflects coordinated efforts between the BRO, the Indian Army and the civil administration.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has restored the vital road connection between Gulabgarh and the remote Machail region in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district by commissioning a 140-foot triple-double reinforced Bailey bridge at Chishoti. The bridge was inaugurated virtually in the past week by White Knight Corps Commander Lt Gen P. K. Mishra in the presence of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Leader of the Opposition and Padder-Nagseni MLA Sunil Kumar Sharma. The new structure replaces the earlier bridge that was washed away during the devastating cloudburst of August 14, 2025, restoring the only road access to Machail ahead of the annual pilgrimage season.
The previous bridge was destroyed when a cloudburst struck Chishoti village, the gateway to the Machail Mata temple, resulting in the deaths of 65 people, most of them pilgrims, while more than 30 others remain missing. The disaster severed the only road link connecting Machail with the rest of the district, affecting residents, pilgrims and emergency access to the region.
According to officials, the replacement bridge was constructed within 12 days by the 118 Road Construction Company (RCC) of the 35 Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) under Project Sampark. The work involved site preparation, construction of bridge abutments, transportation of Bailey bridge components, erection of the bridge and development of approach roads despite difficult terrain and adverse weather conditions. Army Engineers also provided technical support during the execution of the project.
During the inauguration, Lt Gen Mishra commended the BRO personnel and Army Engineers for completing the project within a short timeframe under challenging conditions. He said the restoration demonstrated the organisation's engineering capability, operational readiness and commitment to maintaining connectivity in remote and strategically important regions. He also noted that the achievement reflected the BRO's motto, Shramena Sarvam Sadhyam (Everything is achievable through hard work).
Officials said the Gulabgarh-Machail road was identified for takeover by the BRO after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced the proposal during his visit to Jammu and Kashmir in August 2025. The Ministry of Defence granted operational approval for the proposal in March this year, although formal transfer orders are still awaited. Pending the transfer, Project Sampark undertook construction of the Bailey bridge following a request from the civil administration to restore immediate connectivity to Machail.
The road forms part of the strategically significant Kishtwar-Gulabgarh-Kundal-Machail corridor and has future connectivity potential through the proposed Umasi La Pass, which is expected to link the region with Nimmu in the Zanskar Valley of Ladakh. Besides its strategic importance, the route serves as the principal access road to the Machail Mata temple, which attracts more than 300,000 devotees annually. Officials said the timely completion of the bridge would ensure uninterrupted connectivity before the Machail Mata Yatra begins in July, while also restoring essential socio-economic links for residents of the remote region and improving mobility across the sensitive border district.
Source - PTI
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