Bhubaneswar, Dec. 13: Two arterial roads pockmarked with potholes are not only slowing down traffic but also causing vehicles to break down mid-street.

Motorists now view plying the roads on either side of the National Highway-5 flyover to and from Cuttack and Rasulgarh Square as a daunting task.

Motorists travelling on the road towards Cuttack from the Rasulgarh Square end find that potholes on the road near Rehman petrol pump slows down traffic, often leading to chaos during peak hours.

The potholes also damage vehicles. Manoranjan Kar, 57, state government employee and resident of GGP Colony, said his car's radiator got damaged after its base hit a pothole on the stretch.

"This happened in October. I was travelling at a speed of 40kmph when the vehicle stopped with a loud thud. Smoke billowed out of the vehicle and I discovered that the radiator was damaged," he said. Kar had to spend Rs 1,500 on repairs. "One has to be careful while travelling on the stretch as the road is in an extremely bad shape," he said. The stretch next to National Highway-5 flyover from Rasulgarh to Palasuni remains choc-a-bloc round the clock.

Besides, a dangling high-tension wire and a transformer without a barricade just beside the pothole-ridden stretch between Narayani Motors and Indian Oil petrol pump has raised questions over the safety of motorists.

The flyover that starts from Palasuni was built and opened to the movement of vehicles ahead of Nabakalebar in 2015. Even so, most of the local passenger buses and trucks roads ply below and beside the flyover as they are convenient and get passengers as well as destinations. "This has made repair and maintenance of the road difficult," said a public works department official.

The situation is similar on the other side of the road that leads to Rasulgarh Square from Cuttack via Palasuni. The condition here is the worst during peak hours from 10am to 2pm and 5pm to 8pm. Buses from Cuttack travelling towards Puri and Baramunda ply on the stretch. "During the rainy season, it is common for vehicles to get stuck in the potholes. This leads to traffic jams," said Asish Acharya, 28, mechanical engineer and resident of Baramunda.

Acharya said he travels between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack at least four times a week. "I heave a sigh of relief after traversing the stretch safely at night," he said.

Urban plannerand architect Pradyumna Sarangi said: "The authorities have to come up with a plan so that vehicles be instructed to ply on the flyover for a few days to undertake repairs."

Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation mayor Anant Narayan Jena said people have been complaining to the civic body regarding the condition of the road. "We have urged the public works department to start repairs on the road as soon as possible," he said.