Bhubaneswar, May 21: Next time you take the Palaspalli-Bhimatangi flyover, drive at your own peril.

Last evening cement layers from the surface of the road have come off creating a huge crater and exposing the rods beneath the flyover. This happened after the public works department officials already did two minor repairs on the same flyover.

"I narrowly escaped from skidding on the bridge and somehow managed to stop the vehicle on time. I saw that the surface layer has come off like flakes. The public works department (PWD) officials should immediately repair it," said Manas Sahoo, a businessman from Bhimatangi.

Loknath Dash, a resident of Pokhariput, said: "The particular spot creates a lot of trouble for the vehicles. It should be investigated why the surface is wearing off. It is very important as railway tracks are located just under the bridge."

PWD assistant engineer (division II) Sisir Mishra said: "The flyover was constructed more than 15 years ago. As the railways constructed the portion over their tracks, there was a major technical snag while joining the two concrete slabs over the tracks. Since the gap was then covered with cement, it could not be detected. Now, years later, the surface is coming off."

Mishra also said with traffic increasing manifold and heavy vehicles plying on the stretch to ferry goods for real-estate developers, the withering process has become faster.

"This year, the PWD had carried out two minor repairs in March and April. Today we have cleaned the area and steps will be taken within a day to mend the place permanently," he said.

Sources said the PWD workers would barricade the damaged portion so that traffic movement was not affected. The repair process will take several days.

If the condition of the Palaspalli flyover is dangerous, the Satyanagar flyover is no better. Here, too, the surface has worn off and the rods have emerged. The busy bridge connecting Cuttack Road and Satyanagar also witness heavy traffic throughout the day and the damaged road might create problem in the near future if the spot is not repaired immediately.

Prafulla Tripathy, a senior citizen, who takes Cuttack Road from Satyanagar regularly, said: "The flyover should be repaired immediately. If it is left in this condition, a major mishap might occur anytime."

Advocate and tax consultant Ramesh Sahu, who has his chamber on Cuttack Road, said: "Commuters, especially two-wheeler riders, face a lot of trouble while negotiating this stretch."

PWD executive engineer (of division I) Haladhar Pradhan said: "Repair work will be taken up shortly."