The much awaited multi-crore Jugsalai railway overbridge project ( ROB) in Jamshedpur is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Sources said the work for the new approach road is in full swing.
The officials of the Road Construction Department (RCD) said that the construction is going at full speed and it will be completed soon.
"Though the work of approach road construction had stopped in the past due to its design issue which has already been sorted out and construction work resumed. We will complete the approach road construction in the next few months, " an official of RCD's Jamshedpur division.
He pointed out the design of the approach road has been revised and its cost has also escalated to Rs 44 crores. The official said the railway has already constructed the overbridge and after the work of the approach road is to be completed by December, the Jugsalai railway overbridge will get operational for the public.
About one lakh people from the densely-populated Jugsalai and Bagbera localities of the city cross the Jugsalai level crossing located between Tatanagar and Adityapur stations every day. About 90 trains, including goods trains, pass through the Jugsalai level crossing.
The railway had finalised the blueprint for the Rs 21.54 crore project. The road over bridge was a long pending demand of the people residing at Jugsalai. Sources informed that of the 21.54 crores, 9.77 crores was to be spent by the railway, whereas the remaining to be borne by the state government. However, now the budget has escalated.
The road over bridge would ensure smooth traffic and avoid decongestion as the commuters face it now while crossing the level crossing. The existing Jugsalai roundabout will remain where it is not, but its size will be reduced marginally.
Peeved over snarls and mishaps at the crossing, the residents of the densely-populated Jugsalai and adjoining Bagbera localities had set up Sarbadaliya Sangharsh Samiti (SSS) cutting across party lines.
Following repeated agitation by the SSS, the railway in the year 2011 had taken the initiative to construct an overbridge in collaboration with the RCD and decided to set up the railway overbridge for Rs 16 crores. As there were issues for both the railway as well as the RCD, the project was delayed by over a decade and the project cost escalated to Rs 45 crore.