Sambalpur, July 6: The work on the bridge over the Dhobijor nullah at Danipali on Paanch Gachhia-Thakurpara Road will be over by July 15.

The public works department is executing the construction.

The Paanch Gachhia-Thakurpara Road is considered to be an arterial stretch in the city. It connects Sambalpur railway station to the National Highway No. 6 at Paanch Gachhia. People, who go to the railway station from the national highway, depend on this road.

There are two schools, including the Kendriya Vidyalaya, alongside the road. Commuters, who want to go to the industrial estate, also prefer to take the particular stretch.

But during rains, commuting on the road remains a troublesome task since water overflows at Danipali. To raise the height of the bridge, the old bridge had been dismantled and work on a new bridge began in December. A target was also set to complete the work before the advent of monsoon this year.

The delay has caused dissatisfaction among the residents.

Assistant executive engineer of the public works department P.K. Nath said: "The work was delayed as the shifting of the electric poles of the Western Electricity Supply Company of Odisha (Wesco) and the pipelines of the public health engineering department had taken too much time. The electric poles and the pipelines were shifted after we deposited the required money."

Nath said: "The electric poles and the pipelines have already been removed. Moreover, the work on the bridge is almost complete. We are planning to allow traffic on the bridge by July 15."

"The old bridge had been dismantled and work on the new bridge began a few months ago. A diversion road has been provided for the commuters along the construction site. However, this road got submerged in water during heavy rain last month. Commuters who depend on the road had to suffer a lot," said local resident Ranjan Dash.

"The concerned authorities should have completed the construction job well before monsoon," Dash said.

"The authorities should stick to the July 15 deadline and allow traffic on the bridge. Otherwise, local people will have a hard time," said Akshaya Sahu, another local resident.