Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, said that the much-awaited six-lane flyover on NH-16 near Hanspal, connecting Bhubaneswar with Cuttack, would be thrown open to public by January 2025. The flyover will ease the traffic congestion and the repeated accidents that have been causing problems on this stretch of NH-16.
This much-needed flyover near Hanspal on NH-16 is finally expected to be completed after a delayed process.
Delays in the Flyover Construction
Construction on the flyover began in 2020. Initially, the construction was to be done within two years. However, several challenges arose, causing its completion to fall way beyond the projected date. The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on its slow progress, and other challenges associated with removing houses and structures further hindered the work.
Minister Gadkari explained to the questions from Rajya Sabha MPs Sasmit Patra and Niranjan Bishi that the original contractor performed badly, leading to the contract termination in June 2023. The project was resubmitted to a new contractor who has put in serious efforts to see the completion of the flyover. The flyover is going to be ready and thrown open by January 2025.
Significance of Hanspal Flyover
This flyover will be of great value both to locals and commuters alike. This stretch of NH-16 near Hanspal has for years been infamous for heavy traffic and accidents on the highway. The very density of population coupled with constant vehicle and pedestrian movements created an accident-prone zone in this area. The construction of this flyover solves some of these persistent problems to ensure improvement in safety measures and relief in traffic conditions in this region.
Impact on Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Connectivity
Once built, the flyover would shorten traveling time between Bhubaneswar to Cuttack. Now all the time for traveling along the road gets wasted for vehicles and other people at that stretch due to congestion created by their shops. The sixlane flyover would thus keep free flowing the traffic. Commuters and people at large will benefit from it.
Apart from enabling better travel efficiency, this flyover will improve safety factors as well since it would remove some of the most major accident spots on this route. NHAI has accorded priority to this flyover because it leads to decreasing death tolls and enables an improvement in driving conditions along this busy corridor.
Partial Opening of the Flyover
Earlier in August 2023, the flyover was partially inaugurated for public use in order to temporarily ease pressure of traffic as construction work continued. Partial opening will ease some congestion, but full completion of the flyover will provide permanent solutions to traffic and safety problems at NH-16.
Ongoing Support from the Local Leadership
It has been a long-pending demand of the residents and commuters, who have been raising their voices for better infrastructure and safe travel options. Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi has been visiting the construction site regularly along with other top leaders and has been assuring the public that the flyover would be opened as soon as possible. These leaders have been pushing for the last mile of completion of the flyover, as it is very important for the region.
Conclusion
By January 2025, traffic on NH-16 would definitely rise considerably because the Hanspal flyover is going to be opened officially. Commuters who travel between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack would really benefit from it. Several problems have cropped up in the construction of the flyover, but it will eventually come as a boon, not only in cutting down the number of accidents but also shortening travel time for commuters. And now, with final phases getting on schedule time, this flyover would emerge as the flagship infrastructural activity for Odisha, meeting much-awaited expectations of masses.
Refer:
TOI, Link to article
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