Cuttack, Dec. 21: Commuters travelling from Jail Road Chhak to Seminary Chhak and vice versa will have to travel two more km due to temporary restriction on traffic movement at Haitpokhari Chhak in the city.

Police will shortly begin diverting traffic, particularly three and four-wheelers at Haitpokhari Chhak to facilitate the ongoing construction under the integrated sanitation project being carried out by the Japan International Co-operation Agency. Sources said the restriction on traffic movement would be in place for 30 days from the next week in view of the laying of pipelines under the Cuttack sewerage project.

Subsequently, commuters travelling from Choudhry Bazar and Buxi Bazar, too, will have to cover an extra distance to move towards Dolmundai via Tinkonia Bagicha or via Meria Bazar. A traffic official said all three and four-wheelers coming from Dolmundai and Seminary Chhak will be diverted from Hatipokari Chhak towards Tinkonia Bagicha. Therefore, all the vehicles will be diverted towards Choudhry Bazar and Buxi Bazar from Tinkonia Bagicha. Three and four-wheelers from Buxi Bazar will be diverted to head to Seminary Chhak via Tinkonia Bagicha.

Already, the construction for laying of the pipelines and the underground micro channels is creating problems for the commuters at Seminary Chhak, which acts as the connecting link among prominent areas of the city, including Buxi Bazar, Dargha Bazar, Choudhry Bazaar and Katgada Sahi.

'For more than a month, traffic has been adversely hit due to the construction at Seminary Chhak junction. Since a large number of business establishments are located here, many people are facing problems,' said Amit Sahu, a commuter.

He said no traffic personnel had been deployed there to ensure a smooth traffic flow.

A traffic official, on the other hand, said detailed arrangements had been made to ensure that commuters did not face any problems because of the temporary traffic diversion scheduled to be enforced on the major road.

A senior official said the agency officials had been asked to put up signage in Odia and English regarding the diversion from Hatipokari Chhak to Jail Road.

The executing agency will press into service around 15 traffic wardens, while Cuttack-Bhubaneswar police will deploy four traffic officials. 'We have asked the construction company to maintain adequate safety measures for the commuters by installing sign boards, proper lighting and other necessary steps required for the temporary diversion,' said assistant commissioner of police (traffic) P.K. Dalai.