Vehicles almost run into each other as they switch tracks on the National Highway-203 in Bomikhal Colony area. Telegraph pictures

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 11: Traffic chaos at the entrance to Bomikhal Colony has become a major cause of concern for its residents.

The cuts at close intervals on the National Highway-203, which bisects the colony, have compounded the traffic problem. To make matters worse, there is a temple close to one of these cuts on the road and it attracts huge crowds on Fridays in particular.

Local residents say that the area has been witnessing accidents almost on a daily basis. Fridays are especially dangerous as the temple of Santoshi Maa draws devotees in hordes.

“We had approached the authorities of the NH Division, but they said that cuts on the road were planned on the advice of the city police. We can’t close these gaps on our own,” said president of the Residents Welfare Association, Bomikhal New Colony, Ashim Kumar Kanungo.

“On October 30, my car met with an accident as a speeding truck hit it from behind. I had to spend Rs 25,000 on repairs. I could have died in the accident,” added Kanungo, a retired engineer.

Chief engineer of NH Division Bharat Chandra Pradhan admitted that the stretch of the highway near Bomikhal was dangerous. “The passages on the medians have been constructed on demands by the local residents and opened with the permission of police. But if more such passages are created following pressure by local residents, it would lead to serious problems.”

The officer said there was a cut on the road between BJB College and Ravi Talkies Square, but the police had sought another between BJB College and Lewis Road.

“After some time they may ask us to close one. We are also losing money in this way,” he said, adding that he had received complaints regarding frequent accidents and steps would be taken to minimise mishaps.

A senior traffic official of the city police also admitted that the three cut passages on the median near Bomikhal have made the area accident-prone. “We are planning to close them in consultation with the national highway authorities and local people,’’ he informed. The inside roads in the New Colony area of Bomikhal are in a bad shape as work for sewerage line is going on there.

“There is a provision of constructing a 20-feet wide road from our colony towards Bomikhal-Shahid Nagar level crossing along the railway track. But the authorities are not taking any step to construct the road. If the new road comes up, then the car owners can bring in their four-wheelers via the level-crossing despite the ongoing sewerage line work,’’ Kanungo added.