Master Canteen Square
This major junction, which has a railway station and a bus stand in the vicinity, connects Raj Mahal with Kharavela Nagar on one side and the Assembly and secretariat on the other. Everyday chaos grips the area during peak traffic hours that stretches from 8am to 2pm and 5pm to 10pm. This busy junction doesn't have traffic lights or cops to regulate the traffic. The absence of zebra lines poses another threat to pedestrians. Accidents around the roundabout are common at the junction as the lack of signages about routes create confusion among motorists.
Khandagiri Square
This major junction is on the busy NH 5. Although there are enough cops to man vehicular movement, there are no traffic lights at the junction. This makes the junction risky for motorists at night. The junction connects Khandagiri and Udaygiri with ITER on one side and CRP with AIIMS on the other. With a number of approach roads joining at the junction, motorists can often be found driving on the wrong side. Though the state government has marked the junction as accident-prone, it is yet to take measures to curb mishaps. In January, a bank manager was killed in an accident here. In 2014, six people had died at the junction in two separate accidents. The administration has planned a flyover to curb mishaps.
Rasulgarh Square
Strategically located, this road coming from Cuttack and Puri connects here and moves towards Bhubaneswar. It is also the intersection of National Highways 5 and 203. The location always experiences heavy flow of public transport and is also a crucial link to Mancheswar Industrial Estate, a hub of more than 100 micro and macro industries. This junction also lacks traffic lights and adequate number of traffic policemen. This junction also has a roundabout, but no signage to guide commuters. Although there is a flyover above the junction, it hardly serves any purpose with most people using the bypass to reach Cuttack. In May, a biker died here in an accident. In 2014, two people died in separate accidents in a single month.
Vani Vihar Square
Two major educational institutions - Utkal University and Rama Devi Women’s University - are located near the junction. Vani Vihar Square and Janpath originates from here on National Highway 5. Besides, people coming from VSS Nagar use this junction to reach Janpath. The intersection is T-shaped. A busy Saheed Nagar and traffic rush on Janpath makes it a pressure zone. The side of the national highway in front of Utkal University has become accident prone as people who want to enter the varsity use the wrong side to drive. Moreover, people coming from University Law College side have to access the square from the wrong side. This square, too, doesn't have traffic lights. Only two traffic personnel, one on Utkal University side and the other on the Saheed Nagar side manage vehicle movement at this junction. An auto rickshaw driver died here during 2012 when he was hit by a speeding truck.
MISHAP ZONES
♦ Master Canteen Square: Four to five minor accidents daily. Speeding car hit a man last October
♦ Khandagiri Square: One person was killed and his wife received injuries in an accident in January. Nine persons killed in three mishaps in 2014
♦ Rasulgarh Square: A biker died in an accident in May. Two persons died in two separate mishaps in 2014
♦ Vani Vihar Square: Three to four minor accidents occur daily. A speeding car hit an auto-rickshaw last October. It happened shortly after the death of a 29-year-old woman at the junction last September
We are in the process to introduce modern traffic signalling system in all the major junctions of the city. We are hopeful that after the new system comes into place, the traffic would be regulated and the number of accidents would drop
- Ananta Narayan Jena, mayor
Some of the major accidents occur at the roundabouts and installation of traffic lights would create more confusion. We are conducting regular drives to discourage wrong side driving and will deploy more personnel to control the situation
- Jatindra Panda, ACP, traffic
