Nishatganj-IT overbridge closed for traffic, repair may take a month

According to PWD Executive Engineer Manish Varma, the steel column of the Indira Bridge was not in a good shape.

LUCKNOW The overbridge leading from Nishatganj to the Isabella Thoburn College was closed for traffic on Sunday. The overbridge was closed without any prior notice to the public to conduct repair works.

The overbridge was closed without any prior notice to the public to conduct repair works. (Deepak Gupta)

According to PWD Executive Engineer Manish Varma, the steel column of the Indira Bridge was not in a good shape. “It was in a dilapidated condition. Besides, the foundation and the concrete inside it was cracking at many places. Therefore, a decision was taken to close the bridge for repair, which may take a month. Till then, the traffic will be diverted to alternative routes,” added Varma.

However, the sudden closure of the bridge caused inconvenience to commuters. “The overbridge was closed without any notice. People had to take alternative routes as the traffic movement was stopped suddenly,” said Nishatganj-resident Jaglal.

Due to the closure of the bridge on Sunday, the internal roads of Mahanagar and Nishatganj witnessed a long traffic snarl, particularly in the evening hours. Due to this, the patients and their attendants going to Medical College, Fatima Hospital, and Vivekananda Polyclinic faced inconvenience .

Notably, the Nishatganj-IT overbridge -- constructed in 1978 -- is one of the oldest in the city. The North Eastern Railways had written a letter to the PWD drawing its attention towards the repair of the overbridge.