Bhubaneswar, Oct. 14: Citizens living near the Rajmahal flyover may look forward to a traffic-chaos free Durga Puja, if the public works department (PWD) carries out its plan.
The department is planning to convert the vacant space under the flyover into a temporary parking lot to prevent traffic chaos at the Unit I and Unit II daily markets.
Chief engineer of roads B.C. Pradhan said that the department would discuss with the police the possibility of creating temporary parking lots under the flyover to ease the traffic during the festival.
"We will discuss the matter with the police in a day or two. We will also discuss traffic management in the event of the median stretch between AG Square and the flyover being converted into a parking lot for two-wheelers," said Pradhan.
The city traffic police had, earlier, proposed to create two parking lots in the area - one in the unutilised space under the Rajmahal flyover and another at the median between AG Square and Rajmahal flyover.
According to a police estimate, the vacant space under the flyover can accommodate around 500 four-wheelers, while the median stretch between AG Square and the flyover, if converted into a parking lot for two-wheelers, can be used to park 2,000 motorcycles.
There are 2-3 major Pujas in the area, which attract a huge crowd during the festival. The two markets already attract a lot of shoppers and hence, during the Pujas, commuting becomes a nightmare.
The police's proposal to convert the area under the flyover into a permanent parking lot may, however, take a long time to materialise, as the construction of a proposed underpass may start in two months time.
"The construction of the underpass is likely to start in December. The vacant space under the flyover, where the parking lot is supposed to come up, would be used by the construction agency and our officials for storing materials as well as for other things," said a PWD official.
The police said that its permanent parking lot proposal would not only help in traffic management but also help maintain cleanliness, as the vacant space under the flyover is often misused by rowdies.
The roads and buildings (R&B) division of the PWD had given its nod to the traffic police's proposal in July, but the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation is yet to approve of it.
"While the police are supposed to manage the traffic in and around the proposed parking lot, the civic body's role is to manage it and collect the fees," said a PWD official.
Mayor Anant Narayan Jena said that the proposal would definitely help in the management of traffic in the area.
"We have sought permission from the R&B department in this regard. Once we get their consent, we will start managing the parking lot along with collection of parking fees," said Jena.
