The bridge serves as the main road connecting Shangla to Lower Kohistan, Upper Kohistan as well as Gilgit-Baltistan.
Central bridge of Alpuri, seat of Shangla. Photo: Express
SHANGLA:
The central bridge in Alpuri, headquarters of Shangla district, has become a major safety risk with residents warning that its collapsing condition could trigger a serious accident at any time.
Built during the era of the former Swat State and then expanded in the 1970s, the bridge was designed to carry only a few hundred vehicles per day. Today, it supports the weight of thousands of vehicles, including heavy goods vehicles and oil tankers, well beyond its designed capacity.
Large potholes have developed in the center and on both sides of the bridge, concrete slabs have broken and exposed steel reinforcement is visible in several places. During rains, potholes deepen further, while damaged safety guardrails and a weakened structure increase the risk. As a result, heavy vehicles frequently remain stuck, causing hours-long traffic jams and immense hardship for local residents, transporters, patients, women, children and travelers.
The bridge now serves as the main road connecting Shangla to Lower and Upper Kohistan as well as Gilgit-Baltistan. When it was built, the area had a small population and limited traffic, with no pressure from three districts of Kohistan or daily influx of vehicles from Gilgit-Baltistan. This reality has changed dramatically, making the bridge a critical but dangerously strained lifeline.
Local residents fear that if a large bus or tanker gets stuck in the center of the bridge, dozens of lives could be lost in moments. They say the responsibility for such a tragedy would fall squarely on the administration and elected officials.
According to National Highway Authority (NHA) sources, several reconstruction and expansion surveys have been carried out over the past few years. Technical teams from Islamabad, Peshawar and Karachi recently visited Alpuri, prepared updated designs and reports and spent substantial public funds on documentation and inspections. However, no bricks were laid. After each investigation, either the files are shelved or the project is postponed under political pressure, fueling public anger.
Informed sources in the NHA revealed that the main obstacle is not technical or financial, but political. Influential multi-story buildings believed to belong to figures affiliated with the Pakistan Muslim League stand on both sides of the bridge.
To protect these structures from potential damage during expansion, the project would have been delayed under a pro-protection ballot policy, prioritizing private interests over public safety.
During the militant period, the bridge was subject to heavy military traffic, including tanks, and only temporary repairs were carried out. These repairs have since failed, leaving the structure unsuitable for heavy loads despite the daily passage of thousands of vehicles.
Residents have urged the government, NHA and all political parties to put aside their personal and partisan interests and immediately begin the reconstruction of the Alpuri Central Bridge. They warn that if a major tragedy occurs, the fault will lie with incompetent administration, silent representatives and selfish politicians.
