Cuttack: Roadblocks for the public works department's first four-lane project in the city refuse to go away.
This time, the boundary wall of a circle office of the Central Electricity Supply Utility (Cesu) has come in the way of the project, already delayed by almost a year.
The department had taken up the project on a 2km stretch from Cantonment Road near Barabati Stadium to Biju Patnaik Chhak in January 2017 with a May 2017 deadline.
The expansion project has now been suspended for over two months as further construction can only be possible once the eastern and southern walls of Cesu's circle office is removed.
The department requires around 10-12ft land for adequate clearance, for which it needs to demolish the southern wall and shift it northwards.
Official sources said Cesu had undertaken the work to relocate the boundary wall and other structures of its circle office after the department's Cuttack division (road andbuildings) agreed to bear the expenses.
The Rs 2.17-crore expansion work is in the last leg of construction with less than 50m of the 2km stretch left to connect it with Biju Patnaik Chhak.
M.R Khan, executive engineer of the Cuttack roads and buildings division said construction of the remaining portion of road would be completed by March end.
"The process to relocate the boundary wall and other structures is underway. The new boundary wall is already under construction and we will resume the road work shortly," Khan said.
The existing roads under the project have been expanded to maintain 7.5m width on both sides of the median.
"Most government projects get delayed because the problems are not taken care at the start of work. This road project is a glaring example of that," said Madhusudan Nagar resident Pravat Ranjan Dash, a daily commuter on the stretch.
Earlier, the department had to suspend work on an one kilometre stretch for over five months as power transmission poles had come in its way.
The work could only be resumed after Cesu's Cuttack division relocated 20-odd poles last November.
