Punjab CM Mann opens reconstructed railway overbridge in Bathinda, announces another

Bathinda, Jan 10 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday dedicated the reconstructed Multania railway overbridge to the people of Bathinda and announced the construction of another at Janta Nagar, to ease the city’s traffic problems.

Addressing a gathering, Mann said that several railway lines pass through Bathinda, which is an important junction in Punjab, dividing the city into different parts.

“The Multania overbridge, constructed for Rs 38.08 crore over the Ambala, Delhi, Sirsa and Bikaner railway lines, is over 1 km long, while its width has been increased from 23 feet to 34.5 feet," Mann said.

“The old bridge was no longer suitable for the increasing volume of traffic,” the chief minister added.

Keeping these problems in mind, the state government decided to demolish the approach way to the old bridge and construct a new one on the existing pillars, he added.

Referring to the other project, the chief minister said while an underbridge currently exists at Janta Nagar over the Bathinda-Ferozepur railway line, it is very narrow and causes difficulties for the commuters.

With the locals demanding a railway overbridge at this location for a long time, the Punjab government has approved its construction at a cost of Rs 50.86 crore, Mann said.

“The proposed bridge will be 650 metres long with a 31-foot-wide carriageway. The adjoining service road will also be widened from 18 feet to 33 feet. The tender process has been initiated, and the construction work will begin shortly,” he said. PTI SUN ARI