By Sunil Sonkar
Mussoorie, 29 Apr: Sanjay Agarwal, President of the Mussoorie Hotel Association, and Ajay Bhargava, General Secretary, held a joint press conference to express their gratitude to the Uttarakhand government, Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi, and the officials for the construction of the second Bailey bridge on the Dehradun-Mussoorie Raod. They stated that the construction and subsequent dedication to the public of a second Bailey bridge near the Shiv Temple on the Mussoorie-Dehradun route has brought significant relief to the tourist town.
Sanjay Agarwal recalled that, on 16 September, 2025, the main bridge connecting Mussoorie and Dehradun was completely destroyed due to a severe natural calamity. Following this, the government restored traffic within just 48 hours by constructing a temporary Bailey bridge; however, due to the bridge’s narrow width, only one vehicle could pass at a time. This led to persistent traffic congestion, causing immense inconvenience to both local residents and tourists alike. He noted that the Hotel Association, along with various civic bodies in the city, had been consistently advocating for the construction of a second Bailey bridge—a demand that the government took seriously. Consequently, the new Bailey bridge was constructed and was dedicated to the public by Minister Ganesh Joshi on 24 April.
The Hotel Association further stated that the government has initiated the process for constructing a permanent bridge, estimated to cost approximately Rs 12 crore. Construction work has already commenced following the issuance of tenders, and it is anticipated that the new permanent bridge will soon be completed and dedicated to the public.
Sanjay Agarwal remarked that with the completion of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, the travel time between Delhi and Dehradun has now been reduced to approximately two and a half hours. This will directly benefit Mussoorie’s tourism sector, leading to a significant surge in the number of tourists. However, he acknowledged that the issue of parking continues to remain the single biggest challenge facing Mussoorie. He stated that the government plans to construct a parking facility with a capacity of approximately one thousand vehicles at the ‘Zero Point’; however, until this project is completed, it is essential to prioritise the development of multi-level and hydraulic parking systems to enable the accommodation of a larger number of vehicles within limited space.
During the press conference, it was announced that work is progressing rapidly on the Mussoorie-Dehradun Ring Road project. Upon its completion, both tourists and local residents will find relief from the traffic congestion frequently encountered within the city, and traffic flow along the Dehradun-Mussoorie route will become significantly smoother.
The Hotel Association noted that the state government is continuously working to strengthen the tourism industry. This initiative will not only generate employment opportunities for local residents but also provide a platform to showcase the region’s indigenous products and culinary delights to tourists visiting from across the country and abroad. During the press conference, hotel proprietors expressed optimism that basic infrastructure facilities in Mussoorie would undergo further expansion in the near future, thereby providing fresh momentum to the tourism industry.
