Rishikesh’s iconic Laxman Jhula to be replaced by a new and modern bridge

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat recently announced that a new modern bridge will be replacing the Laxman Jhula. The announcement has come days after the nearly century-old suspension bridge, an iconic landmark in Rishikesh, was closed on July 12.

Referring to this, the Chief Minister stated that the new bridge will be constructed in a modern and high-tech manner, and will be a tourist attraction. He mentioned that several companies have started sending proposals for the same. The minister further stated that every road has a load capacity, which was ignored in the case of Laxman Jhula, because of which the suspension bridge is now facing issues. However, authorities are now monitoring the traffic and load of Ram Jhula, as they don’t want the bridge to suffer in future.
As reported earlier, the local administration closed the iconic bridge across the Ganges in Rishikesh on July 12 after an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) report suggested that the bridge was not fit for use.
Rawat mentioned that although a new bridge will be built in the place of Laxman Jhula, efforts will be made to preserve it; in fact, the suspension bridge is Uttarakhand’s cultural heritage, and substantial steps will be taken to keep it alive.
Laxman Jhula has a long history; it’s a 450-ft long iron suspension bridge constructed over the Ganga river in 1923, and is one of the landmarks of Uttarakhand. As per the legends, the bridge was built exactly where Lakshman, brother of Lord Rama, crossed the river on jute ropes. This also explains how this suspension bridge got its name.