Lucknow's oldest 'Pakka Pul' to remain closed till Dec 18; check alternate routes here

The vehicular movement on the 109-year-old Pakka Pul of Lucknow will remain closed for the public till December 18. This is being done on the account of the ongoing survey for measuring its load-carrying capacity.

The Pakka Pul, also known as the 'Lal Pul' is one of the the oldest bridge in the city which was constructed during the British era. The bridge provides connectivity to major parts of the city, including Madiyaon, Daliganj, KGMU, Triveni Nagar and many others.

Reportedly, the research team of Central Soil and Materials Research Center has been appointed to conduct the load-capacity inspection of the bridge. Under this, the authority will conduct an ultrasonic pulse velocity test to test the strength of the bridge.

This will help in determining whether the operation of vehicles through the bridge is safe or not and if there is any need for repair or restoration.

Pertaining to the testing procedure, vehicular movement had been halted on December 15 for 4 days, i.e., till December 18. After 18th, only light vehicles will be allowed to ply on the route. Heavy vehicles will not be allowed to access the route till the investigation report comes out. Considering the halt, here is the list of alternative routes for the public:

• Heavy vehicles heading towards the Nirala Nagar area from Madiyaon can opt for the Triveni Nagar flyover route and go towards the desired destination through IT crossing.

• Light vehicles including cars and two-wheelers can ply through the new extension of the Pakka Pul to move between the Madiyaon-Nirala Nagar route.

• Heavy Vehicles heading towards Chowk, Qaiserbagh and other nearby areas from the Madiyaon area can opt for alternate routes through Daliganj/IT crossing/Hanuman Setu areas.

• Similarly, other light vehicles plying on the same route will be diverted towards the road heading left from the Tile Wali Masjid. After this, the vehicles can access the new extension of the Pakka Pul and move towards Madiyaon through Puraniya Tiraha of the Gomti River Bandha Road.