Vehicles all over flyover despite cracks as authorities fail to act
Putting commuters' lives in danger, the municipal corporation (MC) and traffic police department continue to turn a blind eye to Dholewal flyover that has developed cracks on the concrete slabs
Putting commuters' lives in danger, the municipal corporation (MC) and traffic police department continue to turn a blind eye to Dholewal flyover that has developed cracks on the concrete slabs.
The flyover connects the Chandigarh Road and Ludhiana Bypass that is used by more than 20,000 vehicles every day. It also connects Focal Point with other areas and is an essential road for the industry. With the festive season on, the stretch is now witnessing more traffic than usual.
The cracks and gaps in the joints of flyover that developed months ago lead to two-wheeler riders losing control when on high speed.The civic body had written to the traffic police to divert the traffic around four months ago. However, disregarding the urgency of the matter, the traffic police advised the MC to repair the flyover only after Diwali, as “diversion before the festival could harass commuters”.
Surprisingly, the traffic police had earlier told the MC that the repair work could be carried out after August 15, but the repair never took off. Despite that the MC never impressed upon the necessity of repairing the flyover that was built more than 25 years ago.
Charanjit Singh, executive engineer, MC, Zone C, said the traffic police had earlier asked the MC to repair the flyover after August 15, and now they had put off the matter until after Diwali. He added that the traffic police had asked the civic body to prepare a diversion plan that had already been provided to them.
A traffic police official, requesting anonymity, said traffic diversion for an area where thousands of vehicles plied every day was a herculean job.