Muzaffarpur, June 10: The much-awaited flyover over Motijheel railway crossing was thrown open today amid protests of the commercial fraternity.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated the flyover at Muzaffarpur with the click of a button in Patna and interacted with the residents of the town through video-conferencing. District magistrate (DM) Santosh Kumar Mall, senior superintendent of police Rajesh Kumar, deputy general manager of Indian Railway Construction (Ircon) Mohan Prasad and MLA Suresh Sharma were present at the inauguration of the flyover through video. MLCs Divesh Chandra Thakur, Ganesh Bharti, Dinesh Prasad Singh and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
Nitish in his brief address congratulated the people of Muzaffarpur. Mall said the bridge would help in easing traffic congestion.
Mall added that he had reviewed a meeting with the officials of Ircon led by Prasad, who had assured him of completing the construction of drains and pavements beneath the flyover.
The shopkeepers and traders of Motijheel downed their shutters today to protest against the non-completion of drains. The commercial hub wore a deserted look for a major part of the day.
The traders said they witnessed almost deluge-like situation following showers a few days ago. They added that in the absence of drains, rainwater entered their houses and people had a harrowing time negotiating waterlogged roads. The residents of Motijheel Road also staged a demonstration today.
Former MLA Vijendra Choudhary has threatened to launch a stir against Ircon and district authorities if they failed to construct drains within a month. Earlier, traders led by North Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NBCCI) had appealed to Mall to urge Ircon to expedite the construction which had been on for the past six years.
The construction of the flyover started in 2006. It missed the deadline of 2008. Rs 38 crore has been spent on its construction.
The flyover starts from Motijheel Road. Its one flank ends at Chandralok Chowk. The other flank ends at Dharamshala Chowk. Spread across 1,160m, the flyover stands on 23 pillars.
