Your daily commute on a busy stretch of Jamshedpur's 12km lifeline Straight Mile Road now looks different.
A new single-frame iron railing, with gentle arches, is coming up on an 800-metre stretch to streamline traffic, replacing the earlier concrete divider. Once painted, it will look a pretty sight.
Jusco spokesperson Rajesh Rajan said that putting up the iron railing divider - work of which started on Sunday evening, was carried on through the intervening night and is likely to end by Monday night - would give vehicles more room and yet be sturdy enough to enforce one-way traffic on the entire stretch between Baug-e-Jamsheed School and Sir Dorabji Tata Park near Office Road junction.
"The iron alternative provides more space for vehicles. The earlier divider had a width of 1.2 metre. This one is only 0.2-metre wide, so we could add a width of 1 metre," he said. After the iron divider is installed, flanks on the either side measure 8 metres and not 7.5 metre like earlier.
The single-line iron structure is also 3 feet height, preventing any one from scaling it.
The road was widened and its concrete divider proposed for change as traffic flow had increased in the light of night traffic restrictions implemented on Jubilee Park Road for over a one year now.
Throughout the day on Sundays and from 9pm on all other nights, when traffic is not allowed on Jubilee Park Road, this 800-metre stretch between the school and park is the only alternative for commuters between Sakchi and Bistupur and Sakchi and Sonari-Kadma. Over 30,000 vehicles ply daily on the stretch, which doubles on Sundays.
Commuters welcomed the iron railing. "Road space has increased. Moreover, I think it looks good," said Anuj Singh, an private company employee who commutes on this stretch daily to reach his Bistupur office.
Straight Mile Road is the longest thoroughfare inside Jamshedpur city limits that begins from Baridih and ends at Kadma, cutting Sidhgora, Agrico, Bhalubasa, Kashidih, Sakchi and Bistupur. The iron railing divider will be also be put up on the stretches towards Bistupur and Sakchi.
