Overview
- The Border Roads Organisation made the 140‑foot triple‑double reinforced Bailey bridge at Chishoti operational, with a virtual inauguration by Lt Gen P. K. Mishra on Thursday.
- 118 Road Construction Company of the 35 Border Roads Task Force built the span in 12 days under Project Sampark with technical support from Army Engineers.
- The new bridge replaces the structure washed away by a cloudburst on August 14, 2025 that killed 65 people and severed the only road to Machail.
- Officials say the crossing will restore daily movement for residents and pilgrims and ensure access for the annual yatra that draws more than 300,000 devotees.
- The work follows Ministry of Defence operational approval for a BRO takeover in March 2026, but formal transfer orders for the Gulabgarh–Machail road are still pending and the route remains strategically important for future links toward Ladakh.