The bridge serves as the main route linking Shangla with Lower and Upper Kohistan as well as Gilgit-Baltistan.
Central bridge at Alpuri, headquarters of Shangla. Photo: Express
SHANGLA:
The Alpuri Central Bridge, headquarters of Shangla district, has become a major safety hazard, with residents warning that its crumbling state could lead to a serious accident at any time.
Built during the era of the former Swat State and later expanded in the 1970s, the bridge was designed to carry only a few hundred vehicles a day. Today it supports the load of thousands of vehicles, including heavy trucks and oil tankers, far beyond its intended capacity.
Large potholes have formed in the center and along both sides of the bridge, concrete slabs have broken and exposed steel reinforcements are visible in several places. During rains, potholes deepen even further, while damaged guardrails and a weakened structure compound the risk. As a result, heavy vehicles frequently get stuck, causing hours-long traffic jams and immense hardship for local residents, transporters, patients, women, children and commuters.
The bridge now serves as the main route linking Shangla with 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 the daily influx of vehicles from Gilgit-Baltistan. That reality has changed dramatically, making the bridge a critical but dangerously overstretched 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 any such tragedy would fall squarely on the administration and elected representatives.
According to sources from the National Highway Authority (NHA), multiple studies have been carried out in recent years for reconstruction and expansion. Technical teams from Islamabad, Peshawar and Karachi recently visited Alpuri, prepared updated designs and reports and spent significant public funds on documentation and inspections. However, not a single brick has been laid. After each survey, the files are archived or the project is postponed under political pressure, fueling public anger.
Well-informed sources in the NHA revealed that the main obstacle is neither technical nor financial, but political. On both sides of the bridge are influential multi-story buildings, reportedly owned by figures affiliated with the Pakistan Muslim League.
To protect these structures from potential damage during expansion, the project was reportedly delayed as part of a vote-to-protect policy, prioritizing private interests over public safety.
During the period of militancy, the bridge was subjected to heavy military traffic, including tanks, and only temporary repairs were carried out. Those 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 personal and partisan interests and immediately begin the reconstruction of the Alpuri Central Bridge. They warn that if a major tragedy occurs, the blame will fall on an incompetent administration, silent representatives and selfish politicians.
