May 26: The wait is finally over. After overcoming hurdles like missed deadlines and cost escalation, the flyover at Bhangagarh will be inaugurated this week.

Touted as the most well-designed and modern flyovers in the city, chief minister Tarun Gogoi is likely to throw open the flyover to public.

It is expected to bring relief to thousands of people who have been enduring frustrating traffic snarls in the busy intersection every day.

Designed by Delhi-based Tandon Consultants and constructed by Simplex Infrastructure Limited, the Bhangagarh flyover has been constructed at a cost of about Rs 60 crore.

Work on the 647.58-metre-long flyover started in 2005 and has already missed three deadlines for its opening.

An official of the public works department (PWD) said among all the flyovers in the city, the Bhangagarh flyover had been constructed using the most advanced technology.

He said since Guwahati was in the high seismic zone, deep piling had been done using the “hydraulic rig piling” methodology to make the structure absolutely earthquake-proof.

“The chief minister’s office has given us two dates for inauguration, May 28 and May 30. Depending on Tarun Gogoi’s convenience, one of the dates will be finalised,” the official added.

He said for the first time in the city, a flyover will have reinforced arched retention walls on the approach roads, which will make the approach roads more stable and also enhance its aesthetic value.

The Bhangagarh flyover is the first one in the city to have an arm, which will stretch towards the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). The construction of the arm is likely to be completed by July 31.

The flyover on the GS Road will also ease the woes of patients coming to the GMCH, the premier government hospital in the state.

“In many respects, this flyover is the first of its kind in the city. It rests on hanging girders or beams, which are held by a single pillar. This reduces the space occupied by the pillars, allowing smooth traffic movement underneath the flyover,” he said.

The flyover also has pre-cast type crash barriers on both sides and in the dividers to make it safe for the motorists.

The official claimed that the Bhangagarh flyover was one of the major contributions of the Tarun Gogoi government in developing urban transport infrastructure in the city.

According to him, over the years the flyover will contribute a lot towards decongesting the busy Bhangagarh Road intersection.

“Unlike other flyovers, driving on the Bhangagarh flyover will be a smooth ride. Special care has been taken while black topping so that vehicles experience no jerking at the joints of the flyover as experienced in other flyovers in the city,” he said.

“As far as design and quality of construction are concerned, this will be the best flyover in Guwahati,” he added.

The PWD has made arrangements for proper illumination of the flyover and will take up landscaping to make it more beautiful.

“Some painting is going on, but it will be over by tomorrow,” he said.