New Delhi, Apr 11 (PTI) The Public Works Department (PWD) of Delhi has announced plans to install height barriers on the Ring Road stretch near Kashmere Gate to protect the 150-year-old Mangi Bridge from damage.

The old bridge that connects Red Fort to Salimgarh Fort is an Archeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected structure. The ASI earlier wrote to the PWD to put up height barriers to protect the arch of the bridge.

“The road beneath the bridge is used by large heavy vehicles like buses, trucks, etc. that have damaged the arch of the bridge. We have written to the PWD to put up height barriers so that heavy vehicles do not pass through (the Ring Road),” a senior ASI official said.

Tenders have now been floated to construct the height barriers. They have to be constructed in line with different heights in each lane of the arch, a PWD official said.  While the central entrance beneath the bridge has a height of five to six metres, the side entrances have less height of two to three metres.

Last year the ASI had installed height barriers near the bridge to stop heavy vehicles from passing through but they got damaged.

There are marks visible underneath the bridge due to the use of the road by heavy vehicles. Last year, there was also a plan being considered to reduce the height of the road underneath this arch. But that plan is on hold, said the official from ASI.

The old bridge is situated before the Hanuman Temple flyover, which connects to the entrance of the Kashmere Gate Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT). Due to its proximity to the bus terminal, the area experiences heavy traffic congestion daily. PTI COR SSM SKY SKY