To expedite the transportation of heavy machinery and construction materials across the Indus River to the Diamer-Bhasha Dam Project (DBDP), the construction of a 267-meter long temporary Cable Bridge has been completed, Gwadar Pro reported on Sunday.
According to the Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), the Cableway Bridge, which was completed on the other day, can bear 80 tons of weight. “The Cableway Bridge on River Indus downstream will be used for the transportation from the left bank to the right bank for acceleration of construction activities on the Project,” according to WAPDA.
The cableway bridge will be officially inaugurated for transport shortly.Before the 267-meter long Cableway Bridge on River Indus downstream, three Cableway Bridges, upstream of Main Dam, are already operational for the transportation of heavy machinery and building materials. In April 2021, the dam’s Cableway Bridge-2 was made operational; the 205-meter long Bridge-2 bridge is capable of carrying a total weight of 80 tons. In March 2021, the Cableway Bridge-3 on the Indus River was inaugurated for the transportation of construction materials and machinery.
The contract for consultancy services for the project was awarded to Diamer-Bhasha Consultants Group (DBCG). The DBCG’s JV comprises 12 top-ranked national and foreign consulting firms, including China Water Resources Beifang Investigation, Design and Research Company (China). These firms have a vast experience of providing consultancy services for mega water projects the world over. The Diamer-Bhasha Dam Project is being constructed on River Indus, which is scheduled to be completed in 2028-29.
The project will have a gross water storage capacity of 8.1 MAF to irrigate 1.23 million acres of additional land. With installed power generation capacity of 4,500 MW, the project will provide more than 18 billion units per annum to the National Grid.
