The flyover at Motijheel railway crossing in Muzaffarpur. Picture by Prakash Kumar

Muzaffarpur, May 8: Businessmen in the Motijheel area finally have reasons to cheer — the much-awaited flyover at the railway crossing will be completed by June 15.

Sources said the commercial hub that includes areas like Jawaharlal Road, Tilak Road, Islampur Road, Kalyani Chowk, Club Road, Kedar Nath Road and Diwan Road is expected to see the customer rush again once the flyover construction is completed.

The prolonged construction has affected the business of the local shops as people avoid going to the area which is all dug up.

Traders of the area, led by North Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NBCCI), had appealed to district magistrate (DM) Santosh Kumar Mall to urge Indian Railway Construction (Ircon) to expedite the construction of the flyover which had been on for the past six years. The delay in the completion of the project has already sparked a series of protests from the traders, who also appealed to deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi for its completion.

MLA Suresh Sharma said: “I have requested the deputy chief minister twice for the completion of the project. He rebuked the Ircon officials and instructed them to expedite the process or face action.

“Businessmen of the commercial hub, especially of Motijheel Road, have suffered because of the reluctance of the customers to visit the area because of the construction work,” added Sharma. The DM told The Telegraph: “I held a high-level review meeting with the construction agency Ircon, who have been engaged to complete the flyover at the Motijheel railway crossing. It will be completed by June 15. Once completed, it will be open for the public.”

Ircon deputy general manager Mohan Prasad said: “The bridge is near completion. It will be officially handed over to the state government once the finishing is over.” Mohammed Rizwan, a resident of Motijheel Road, said the construction has also affected the water supply in the area. “Water supply has been thrown out of gear. Iron pipes that used to supply water to the area have been removed and fresh pipes have not been laid out yet,” said Rizwan.

Ratan Kumar, a businessman, said: “The area has become a traffic bottleneck because of the construction.”

Senior superintendent of police Rajesh Kumar said: “The traffic plan would be revised once the bridge is completed. Traffic policemen would be deployed on both sides of the bridge.”