New Delhi, July 25: Though the restoration work of the dismantled Irang bridge, being taken up on war footing, has been completed late afternoon today the bridge will be opened to traffic only tomorrow.

Earlier it was reported that the bridge will be opened to traffic by Monday.

Spokesman of the SPF Government and Information Minister, Gaikhangam informed newsmen that the bridge will be opened to traffic tomorrow and added that it could not be opened today as clearance from the BRO was awaited.

BRTF personnel pressed into service to restore surface commu- nication on the route had been working over time to enable goods-laden trucks and other vehicles stranded at Jiribam to reach Imphal.

The bridge structures were completed in the early hours today but the remaining work (platform laying or plates) consumed most of the day putting off traffic till tomorrow.

With the Government announcing July 24 as the tentative deadline for completing the restoration work of the bridge, optimistic truckers started to trickle in at Jiribam after loading goods from Assam, said informed source.

Detailing on the bridge restoration, the source informed that the bridge structure has been accomplished with the only remaining section to be repaired being the panel construction which can be simplified as plugging the inter-section of steel-rods/plates for vehicles to pass over the bridge.

According to 25 brtF source the capability of the bridge to withstand the weight of the freight trucks can only be finalised tomorrow morning as re-checking and reinforcement work have to be carried out thoroughly within this evening.

Top civil and police officials including the BRTF CO, 1st MR CO, Tamenglong SP and para-military force officers visited the site to assess the work progress.

Meanwhile, the number of vehicles, including passenger buses stranded at Jiribam has crossed 100.