Indore (Madhya Pradesh): One side of the under-construction Reti Mandi Bridge on Rajendra Nagar Road has been opened to traffic without an official inauguration, providing much-needed relief to commuters affected by severe congestion during the monsoon.
At present, vehicles travelling from Rau towards Rajendra Nagar are being allowed to use the bridge, while traffic heading towards Rau continues to be diverted through the service road.
Earlier, vehicles in both directions were using the service road, resulting in frequent traffic snarls.
Continuous rainfall over the past four days has worsened conditions on the service road, where large potholes and waterlogging have caused major delays and increased the risk of accidents, particularly for two-wheeler riders.
To ease traffic pressure, Public Works Department (PWD) officials decided to temporarily open one arm of the bridge.
However, officials said traffic on the newly opened stretch may be suspended again in the coming days, as finishing work is still pending and the mandatory load test has not yet been conducted.
The Rs 25 crore bridge project has been under construction for the past three years.
While one arm of the bridge has been opened, the Datt Nagar-side approach remains incomplete and is expected to take another four months to become operational.
The delay has been attributed to a structural flaw identified during construction. Initially, only one pillar was built at a crucial turning point of the bridge.
Engineers later determined that a single pillar would not be sufficient to support the bridge's load, necessitating the construction of an additional pillar. As a result, the second arm of the bridge remains closed.
