Bhubaneswar, June 10: The state government today directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to finish repairing part of the Bhubaneswar-Puri road that runs over the railway tracks at Samajajpur in Puri district, 50km from here, before the rath yatra on July 6.
An NHAI letter had said the overbridge had a structural problem and that it needed to be repaired at the earliest. It had also said that the traffic needed to be diverted to facilitate its repair.
Several district officials, along with representatives of the NHAI and project contractor, today visited the spot to take a stock of the situation.
"The bridge is a crucial link of mobility and with the rath yatra not too far away, the traffic might be seriously affected. We have asked the NHAI to complete the repairs at the earliest. We have also asked them to make alternative arrangements for vehicular movement," Puri district collector Arvind Agrawal said today.
On the other hand, officials of Bhubaneswar Express Private Limited, the private contractor of the 59km project between Bhubaneswar and Puri, denied any negligence in construction of the overbridge. "The quality of construction had been maintained but the presence of a water body has wakened the soil," said an official of the company.
Works secretary Nalinikanta Pradhan said only small vehicles would be allowed to ply on the bridge. "The portion of soil that has caved in would be filled with concrete. The NHAI has promised to complete the construction before June 30," said Pradhan.
The four-laning of the stretch between Bhubaneswar and Puri that was supposed to be completed by September 2013 was finally completed in August last year just before Nabakalebar.
Sources said that the delay in construction also led to the cost escalating from Rs 541 crore to Rs 621 crore. The unsafe condition of the overbridge had raised many eyebrows.
Alleging financial irregularities, the Opposition Congress today demanded a CBI inquiry. "The overbridge is on the verge of collapse though it was built recently. This indicates poor quality work. There should be a CBI inquiry into the scam," said Pradesh Congress Committee chief Prasad Harichandan after visiting the site today.
