The Balliwala Flyover that jumped many deadlines of work completion would finally become operational on Monday. The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Harish Rawat would formally inaugurate the flyover.
The flyover was initially expected to get completed on October 2014, later the deadline was extended to June 2015. The Engineering Projects India limited (EPIl) which was entrusted to construct the flyover skipped this deadline too and finally the structure is now complete albeit partially.
The Chief Engineer, Public Works Department (PWD), National Highway division – Hari Om Sharma told The Pioneer that the flyover is now operational and would be inaugurated by the Chief Minister.
He, however, accepted that some works like drainage and construction of service lanes of the flyover are still pending. “The Government had provided a sum of Rs40.42 Crores for the construction of the structure and till date a sum of Rs25 Crore has been utilised. The remaining sum would be used for construction of the service lane and drainage of the flyover,’’ he said.
Sharma said that the works like construction of the service lane and drainage works can be initiated only when the traffic on the flyover would start as space on the ground would become available for the
construction workers.
Questions are being raised on the design of the flyover as only a two lane structure has come up in the place of what initially was a four lane flyover on National Highway 72. However, the residents would be relieved by its commissioning as traffic congestions which had become a regular feature on the busy GMS road due to the slow pace of work on the flyover.
The work on Balliwala flyover was started on September 1, 2013, the task of constructing 795 meter long structure handed over to EPIl. Many allegations were leveled by the locals who were agitated by the delay in construction and change in design of the flyover.
The issue of land acquisition and the compensation was taken up the Uttarakhand High Court. Repeated jumping of the deadline by the company and the resulting problems faced by the general public were taken into cognizance by the state government but no effect on the construction agency was visible.
On the May 9 this year, the Governor of Uttarakhand KK Paul summoned the Chairman and Managing Director (MD) of Engineering Project India limited (EPIl), SPS Bhakshi to his office and ordered him to expedite the process of construction.
The chairman had assured the Governor that all pending work on Balliwala flyover would be completed by June 20. Interestingly the work on the project is still incomplete but the State Government is finding solace in making the flyover operational.