On record
The 90-year-old suspension bridge was shut in 2019 after a PWD panel found it "not in a position to sustain any more load." Its ₹56-crore glass-floored replacement, Bajrang Setu, missed its July 2023 deadline and was still under construction (65% done, retargeted June 2025) more than three years after being commissioned; as of May 2026 Lakshman Jhula itself remained closed with no reopening date.
The official record states: "Uttarakhand's Additional Chief Secretary said without closure "some big mishap could take place"; PWD found the bridge's components in "very bad condition" and beyond repair."
“The 1929 bridge was closed as unsafe. Its replacement has now missed more deadlines than the original had decades.”— Blunderlust Editorial Desk
Sources
- https://www.tripoto.com/uttarakhand/trips/rishikeshs-iconic-lakshman-jhula-closed-down-after-90-years-deemed-unsafe-and-beyond-repair-5d29dc897d969
- https://rishikeshnomads.com/place/lakshman-jhula-currently-closed/
Visitor reviews Satire
“Came to walk the 1929 suspension bridge and found it fenced off since 2019, with the market on either side still selling the postcards.”
“Fifty-six crore for a glass-floored replacement that missed its 2023 deadline and is still counting percentages.”
“The old bridge managed ninety years. Its replacement has managed several deadlines and one foundation stone.”