Leh: Two new motorable bridges approved for Ladakh’s Nubra Valley are expected to significantly improve connectivity in the border region, reducing travel distances, strengthening infrastructure and opening new opportunities for tourism and local economic growth.
The projects include the Burma Sumoor bridge and a second bridge over the Siachen River at Tongsted. Together, the two projects have been sanctioned at a cost of ₹83.39 crore under the Ladakh administration’s Special Development Package and are expected to benefit more than 1,300 residents living in remote border villages.
The Burma Sumoor bridge project, costing ₹64.10 crore, will reduce a journey of nearly 70 kilometres to a crossing of about 500 metres. The project includes 470 metres of bridges at three locations, a 2.5 kilometre approach road and six reinforced cement concrete culverts. It will connect Sumoor with the villages of Burma, Charasa, Kuri and Murgi, providing easier access to hospitals, schools, markets, government services and the district headquarters at Diskit.
The improved road link is also expected to help farmers transport agricultural produce more efficiently while ensuring quicker delivery of essential supplies. Officials believe the project will encourage tourism beyond Nubra Valley’s existing travel circuit, creating new opportunities for homestays, local transport operators, handicraft businesses and adventure tourism.
The second project, valued at ₹19.29 crore, involves the construction of a 160 metre steel plate girder bridge across the Siachen River. Designed to withstand the region’s harsh terrain and weather conditions, it will provide year round connectivity to the villages of Tongsted, Yarma Gonbo, Dongsa, Nungsted, Henachy, Changlung and Samosa, directly benefiting more than 500 residents.
The bridge is expected to improve access during floods and adverse weather while strengthening links to Yarma Gonbo, an important religious and cultural centre in the region.
During the foundation stone ceremony, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta said the bridges would strengthen border infrastructure, improve access to remote settlements and support agriculture, tourism and economic development across Nubra Valley. The administration has not yet announced a timeline for completion of the projects.
