Those responsible for technical faults in rail overbridge with 90-degree turn to face action: MP CM

Bhopal, Jun 26 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday said action will be taken against those responsible for technical flaws in the construction of the railway overbridge with a 90-degree turn in Bhopal.

He also said the overbridge will be inaugurated only after its technical faults are removed.

The railway overbridge (RoB) built near Aishbagh Stadium in the state capital became the subject of criticism and ridicule with local residents and netizens questioning its design. Expressing concern over the potential risks, they said vehicles would find it difficult to negotiate its unusual 90-degree turn.

In a statement, CM Yadav said, "The technical faults in the construction work of the Aishbagh RoB will be rectified. People responsible for them (flaws) will be identified and action will be taken against them." He added that the work of rectifying the technical faults in the ROB has started and it will be inaugurated only after that work is done.

Built at a cost of Rs 18 crore, this RoB is aimed at facilitating the movement of vehicles from Mahamai Ka Bagh, Pushpa Nagar, and the station area to New Bhopal.

Last week, the Public Works Department (PWD) formed a committee to find a solution in order to ensure safe movement of vehicles on the bridge.

PWD minister Rakesh Singh then said a team of the National Highway Authority (NHAI), which investigated the matter, found that the strange design was adopted due to the unavailability of land.

The committee comprising two chief engineers would talk to all stakeholders, including the railways, and then corrective steps will be taken, he had said.

Based on the committee's report, it will be decided how to make the turn in the bridge smoother and accident-free, according to him.

Officials associated with the construction of the RoB earlier argued that they had no other option but to build it this way given the paucity of land and the presence of a metro rail station nearby.

PWD officials said that if a little extra land is made available, the 90-degree sharp turn can be converted into a curve.

Before the construction of the RoB began in March 2023, the government had said that once it becomes operational, people of Aishbagh area will neither have to wait at the railway crossing nor have to take a long detour, and that about three lakh people will benefit from it every day.

However, due to its 90-degree turn, social media users as well as local residents said the faulty design can lead to accidents as vehicles would find it difficult to negotiate the turn due to its sharp angle. PTI MAS NP