A new dimension to urban life coupled with an ethereal feeling - the inauguration of the 2.275km-long flyover between Jagdeo Path and Sheikhpura Mor on Tuesday - was all that and much more.

A smooth drive down the eastern flank of the first flyover in the state, forgetting all those snarls and bottlenecks, was sheer joy for commuters for a while and also for those who came for the event. Till late on Tuesday evening, the flyover was not opened for vehicular traffic.

The western flank too was blocked till night with a podium put up for the inaugural event. The flyover also turned out to be the latest selfie spot in the city.

Schoolchildren also walked on the flyover to get a feel of an actual flyover (all others across the state are rail/road overbridges) and to check out how their city was transforming.

Speaking at the inaugural event, chief minister Nitish Kumar said: "This flyover aims to decongest vehicular movement on Bailey Road between the western and eastern parts of the city. It was completed before the inauguration of the under-construction Digha-Sonepur rail-cum-road bridge to ensure that people coming from north Bihar get a smooth ride even after reaching Patna. There are several other projects, including the upcoming Bihar Museum (near Hartali Mor), which would benefit from this flyover."

Patna has eight railway overbridges across different locations but the Jagdeo Path-Sheikhpura Mor flyover is the first of its kind in the city. Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited (BRPNNL) commenced construction of this flyover in December, 2012.

The flyover has four lanes - two on each flank - with a width of 25m, the design ensuring that the pillars occupy minimum road space. "This specification was made keeping in mind the requirement of service roads which run parallel to the bridge on both sides. It ensured smooth traffic flow even during construction," said a source.

Though the flyover was inaugurated on Tuesday, finishing touches are required to be given to its eastern flank.

"We have completed the ground work on the Sheikhpura Mor end of the flyover but asphalt- and bitumen-based carpeting is yet to be done. This work requires continuous sunlight for a couple of days. Hence, depending on weather conditions, we intend to complete the carpeting work by this weekend," said Nawab Alam, senior project engineer at BRPNNL, looking after the project.

Rampant encroachment and heavy traffic on the Bailey Road stretch between Jagdeo Path and Sheikhpura Mor have adversely hit vehicular movement in recent years.

"Once the Patliputra railway station starts functioning, more traffic would be added on this stretch. The flyover would help segregate the traffic. Those heading towards the railway station or the rail-cum-road bridge can take the flyover, the others can use the existing road below," the source added. The railway station is situated about 3km northwest of the western end of the flyover. The new flyover is considered to be a panacea for most problems - frequent snarls at Raja Bazaar, parking woes and dark streets among others. The Telegraph does a reality check:

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The flyover is expected to bear more than half of the vehicular load from the base road at Raja Bazaar. Except autos coming from Danapur in the opposite direction (eastern part of Bailey Road), most private vehicles from each side would opt for the flyover. The entire 2.275km stretch can be covered in 5-10 minutes and vehicular movement on the base road would also be faster. Earlier, commuters took more than 25 minutes on an average to cross the same stretch.

Encroachment-free movement

Flyovers are mostly free from encroachment menace. In this case as well, no squatters or street vendors would be allowed on it. Moreover, the development of parking lots on the base road between the pillars of this flyover would help eliminate much of the encroachment affected by unregulated parking on the roadside.

Parking hassles over

According to the estimates of BRPNNL, around 800 vehicles could park beneath the entire stretch of the flyover, helping in smooth traffic movement on the base road as well. Road construction department minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, better known as Lalan Singh, said BRPNNL had been told to allot the rights for the parking lots at the earliest.

Illuminated pathways

Lampposts have been installed atop the flyover and they are fully functional for a change. Several of those have arms on both sides to allow illumination on the base road as well. Sodium vapour lights have also been affixed underneath the spans to light up the base road.

DREAM COME TRUE