Indore: Without waiting for formal inauguration, city’s residents ‘declare’ Bengali Square Flyover open, start using it along with vehicles

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Residents of the city have started using the Bengali Square Flyover without its inauguration. It is one of the most delayed projects of the Public Works Department (PWD) in the city. The people could be seen on Tuesday using the flyover and buses were seen running on the flyover.

PWD officials said the lighting work of the flyover was going on and its inauguration was pending. “We’ve barricaded the flyover and put up road signs saying ‘Construction work ahead’, but people have pushed them aside and started using the flyover. We’ll try to barricade it more firmly and install sign boards and warning boards around its approach roads,” a PWD official said.

However, vehicles are running on the flyover and there is no staff to divert the traffic. The officials added that the company which had been carrying out the construction work on the flyover had decreased its staff as only a little work is left. Hence, there is no one to control the traffic and divert it.

The construction of the flyover was started in April 2019 and it will take almost three years for the bridge to get completed due to the lockdown and issues of its design. Issues on its design were also raised and the PWD was dragged to court for changing its design. Also, IIT Mumbai was made to intervene in the design process. The IIT, in its report, supported the design suggested by the PWD.

The flyover work was also delayed due to shifting of Madhav Rao Schindia’s idol, which had been placed at Bengali Square and was not shifted by the city administration for a very long time.

BENGALI SQUARE FLYOVER

Project Started: April 2019

Deadline: September 2020

Delay: 1 year 9 months (including lockdown period)

New Deadline: June 2022

Length: 557 metres

Budget: Rs 2,947 lakh (Rs 29.47 crore)

Height: 7.7 metres

Width: 27 metres

Agency: Public Works Department

Colonies Impacted: 120 approx.

Population: Over 2 lakh people

Flow of Traffic: Over 2 lakh vehicles daily