Shimla: In a major initiative to strengthen disaster-resilient infrastructure, the Himachal Pradesh government has decided to upgrade old bridges across the state’s major rivers by raising their height and reinforcing their structures to withstand increasingly severe monsoon floods. The phased programme aims to protect critical road connectivity and minimise disruptions caused by rising river levels and flash floods.
The first project under the initiative has begun at the bridge over the Sutlej River in the Sunni area of Shimla district. The Public Works Department (PWD) has started work to raise the bridge by approximately 20 metres at an estimated cost of ₹10 crore. The project is expected to improve the bridge’s ability to withstand high flood levels and ensure uninterrupted movement during the monsoon season.
The decision follows repeated instances of heavy rainfall and flash floods damaging bridges across Himachal Pradesh in recent years. During the monsoon, rivers such as the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi have witnessed record water levels, with fast-flowing currents carrying debris, trees and large boulders that often accumulate around bridge piers. Such conditions have increased pressure on ageing structures, and in some cases have led to bridge collapses and prolonged disruptions to road connectivity.
Officials said the government has drawn lessons from these incidents and is now focusing on modernising older bridges that were designed under earlier engineering standards. The objective is to make them capable of withstanding the more extreme weather conditions being witnessed due to climate change.
At the Sunni bridge, engineers are carrying out technical modifications to the existing structure to ensure smoother river flow during floods. By increasing the bridge’s height, authorities expect to significantly reduce the possibility of floodwaters reaching the bridge deck, thereby lowering the risk of traffic interruptions and structural damage.
The PWD has also initiated technical surveys of old bridges spanning the Beas, Ravi and other major rivers across the state. Based on these assessments, bridges identified as highly vulnerable to flooding will either be raised in phases or reconstructed according to modern engineering and safety standards.
Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh said the increasing frequency of extreme rainfall events and flash floods has made it necessary to rethink infrastructure planning in the hill state. He noted that many bridges built decades ago were designed for hydrological conditions that have changed considerably over time.
The minister said the government is committed to developing climate-resilient infrastructure by not only constructing new bridges but also strengthening and upgrading existing ones. He added that the initiative would improve public safety, enhance the durability of transport infrastructure and ensure reliable connectivity for people living in flood-prone regions of Himachal Pradesh.
