The Zero Bridge is an old wooden

arch bridge An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct ...

located in the city of

Srinagar Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its natu ...

in the Indian union territory of

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered ...

. It crosses the

Jhelum Jhelum ( Punjabi and ur, ) is a city on the east bank of the Jhelum River, which is located in the district of Jhelum in the north of Punjab province, Pakistan. It is the 44th largest city of Pakistan by population. Jhelum is known for p ...

river in a roughly

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

direction connecting Sonwar in the north to

Rajbagh Rajbagh is the notified area in the municipal committee of Srinagar, in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It comes under the Amira Kadal Constituency. Rajbagh is a posh locality in the civil line area of Srinagar. The postal code ...

in the South. Originally constructed in the late 1950s under the then

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad (1907–1972) was an Indian politician belonging to the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, who served as the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir from 1953 to 1964. Bakshi was a member of the National Conference from i ...

, the bridge was closed for vehicular traffic in the late 1980s owing to the weakening of its wooden structure.

Etymology

Officially it is said to have been named Zero Bridge since traditionally the

Amira Kadal Of all the seven historical bridges of Srinagar, the Amira Kadal Bridge also referred to as the "first Bridge" is a relatively newer one if compared with the rest of the six bridges. Built in 1774–77 by the Afghan Governor Amir Khan Sher Jawa ...

bridge was regarded as the first bridge on the Jhelum as it entered Srinagar and the Zero bridge preceded this 'first' bridge.

Current Status

The Zero Bridge is still the first bridge downstream of the Jhelum while entering the Srinagar city and the next upstream crossing is located near Pantha Chowk in the city outskirts. At present, the old wooden structure of the bridge is being replaced by a new one, preserving the original architecture and the bridge would continue to be a pedestrian crossing and a heritage site. The vehicular traffic is currently handled by the

Abdullah Bridge Abdullah Bridge is a concrete bridge located in the city of Srinagar in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a relatively new bridge replacing the nearby Zero Bridge to connect Sonwar Bagh and Rajbagh. It is named after Sheik ...

, located roughly 200 metres downstream.

References

Bridges in Srinagar Buildings and structures in Srinagar Bridges over the Jhelum River Bridges in Jammu and Kashmir Wooden bridges Arch bridges Bridges completed in the 20th century Wooden buildings and structures in India Transport in Srinagar 20th-century architecture in India {{India-bridge-struct-stub