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Ludhiana rail overbridge project hits yet another roadblock
The Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC) has raised objections over the change and referred the matter to the state-level technical committee to seek financial approval of the revised design for the bridge
Work on Pakhowal rail overbridge and underpass has been stalled yet again, with the latest roadblock being a dispute over the change in design — which has increased the cost by ₹6.29 crore.
The Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC) has raised objections over the change and referred the matter to the state-level technical committee to seek financial approval of the revised design for the bridge.
The present contention is over the 29-metre extension for the approach road on the Hero Bakery Chowk side of the Pakhowal road heading towards Bhai Wala Chowk.
Sources said PMIDC officials have asked the local municipal corporation (MC) authorities as to whose directions the changes were made in the detailed project report (DPR).
Upon being asked about the same, Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC) project general manager Vijay Pal Singh said the tech committee meeting was held recently, but the minutes for the same have not been approved yet and thus, it would not be appropriate to share the decisions.
It was in August last year that the project to construct a railway overbridge at Pakhowal road railway crossing had hit a roadblock when the authorities halted the work to construct an approach road near Hero Bakery chowk.
The work had remained stalled over the last few months with the civic body officials working to make changes in the design of the beam due to technical issues. As the work is in completion state, the company had reportedly stalled the work.
Addressing the delays, MC executive engineer Balwinder Singh said, “There was some technical issue regarding the beam due to which the work was stopped at the site. The matter was pending with SLTC and the construction work of the approach road will be completed soon.”
Initiated in December 2020, the authorities had set an August 31, 2021, deadline for the ₹124-crore project taken up under the Smart City Mission involving two road under bridges (RUB) and a ROB at Pakhowal road railway crossing, but the deadline has since been extended even. The public, meanwhile, continue to face a harrowing time on the ground.
