Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, Jan 14: The construction of the proposed four-lane bridge connecting Litti Chowk in Bhuiyadih to Bhilai Pahadi on NH 33 has hit a snag due to a design flaw. The alignment of the bridge is problematic, and it cannot proceed until this issue is addressed. Currently, work on the site is limited to trimming bushes and clearing the area towards the Mango side, while a revised design for the bridge will be prepared.
The Jharkhand government had initially allocated Rs 77 crore for the project, which includes Rs 44 crore for construction and Rs 33 crore for land acquisition. However, objections have been raised by the engineers from the Jamshedpur division of the Road Construction Department regarding the existing alignment of the bridge, which has been deemed incorrect. As a result, a new design will be developed after a survey by a team of engineers.
Tata Steel, which had purchased land across the river for the original project, has agreed to provide 20-30% of the land for the construction of the bridge’s approach road. Additionally, Tata Steel has granted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the project.
The new four-lane bridge is expected to ease traffic congestion in the city by providing an alternate route for heavy goods vehicles traveling to and from Tata Steel, Timken, and other companies. Currently, these vehicles pass through Mango, Sakchi, and Bhuiyandih, contributing to daily traffic jams, especially when there is no entry at Mango Bridge and Bhuiyandih.
Once completed, the bridge will allow goods carriers and heavy vehicles to bypass the congested city areas and directly connect Litti Chowk to NH 33. The bridge’s construction is expected to take around 18 months.
According to Deepak Sahay, Executive Engineer at the Road Construction Department, Jamshedpur Division, “The issue with the bridge’s alignment from Bhilai hill is that part of it goes into the Subarnarekha river. Therefore, a new design will be made to resolve this.”
