Jammu, July 21 -- Lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Monday laid the foundation stones of the Burma-Sumoor Motorable Bridge and the Tongsted Motorable Bridge over the Siachen River during his maiden visit to Nubra district. Once completed, the Burma-Sumoor Bridge will reduce the distance between Sumoor and the villages of Burma from nearly 70 kilometres to just about 500 metres. Similarly, the Tongsted Bridge will provide reliable all-weather connectivity to several remote villages, bringing essential services closer to the people. The two projects, being executed under the Special Development Package (SDP) of the UT administration, will significantly transform connectivity in the border region. The Burma-Sumoor Bridge Project, sanctioned at Rs.64.10 crore, comprises 470 metres of bridges at three locations, a 2.5-kilometre approach road and six RCC culverts. Similarly, the Tongsted Bridge Project, sanctioned at Rs.19.29 crore, involves the construction of a 160-metre Steel Plate Girder Bridge over the Siachen River. Designed to withstand the challenging conditions of the high-altitude region, the bridge will provide year-round connectivity to the villages of Tongsted, Yarma Gonbo, Dongsa, Nungsted, Henachy, Changlung and Samosa, directly benefiting more than 500 residents. htc...