Experts flag safety concern amid Hanspal flyover construction work | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: Days after the Hanspal flyover was opened for the public, road safety experts have expressed concern citing potential threat to commuters as construction work continues on two of the six lanes.
The flyover, inaugurated on Tuesday after more than four-year wait, has opened its fast and semi-fast lanes while work continued on the slower lanes on both sides of the highway.
Syed Maqbool Ali, a former member of National Road Safety Council, criticised the hasty decision to open the flyover on National Highway-16. “The NH-16 is a high-speed corridor, and such premature opening of the flyover poses serious safety risks,” Ali said.
He emphasised that the presence of heavy machinery and construction materials on the flyover could lead to accidents, particularly given the high-speed nature of the highway. “The risk of road accidents is higher during night time,” Ali pointed out.
Urban planner Piyush Rout echoed similar concerns, highlighting the highway’s history of frequent accidents involving vehicles, pedestrians, and stray animals. The current situation, with ongoing construction work alongside active traffic, could potentially exacerbate these safety issues.
“The highway is already witnessing a series of issues such as wrong-side driving in the city stretch, illegal and haphazard vehicle parking and more. Instead of solving the existing issues, the authorities are creating more problems,” Rout said.
A senior official of the National Highways Authority of India said that adequate safety measures have been put in place at the construction site. “The current opening will resolve traffic issues while work on the remaining portion will be completed in a month,” the official said.
The partial opening of the flyover raised question mark about the balance between public convenience and safety. While the completion of the project addresses long-standing traffic concerns in the area, the decision to open it before full completion has sparked debate among road safety experts.
Experts, meanwhile, advised local residents and daily commuters to exercise extra caution while using the flyover, particularly during peak hours. They recommend reducing speed and maintaining a safe distance from the ongoing construction activities.
The Hanspal flyover project, which faced numerous delays since its inception, represents a crucial infrastructure development for the area.
The flyover, inaugurated on Tuesday after more than four-year wait, has opened its fast and semi-fast lanes while work continued on the slower lanes on both sides of the highway.
Syed Maqbool Ali, a former member of National Road Safety Council, criticised the hasty decision to open the flyover on National Highway-16. “The NH-16 is a high-speed corridor, and such premature opening of the flyover poses serious safety risks,” Ali said.
He emphasised that the presence of heavy machinery and construction materials on the flyover could lead to accidents, particularly given the high-speed nature of the highway. “The risk of road accidents is higher during night time,” Ali pointed out.
Urban planner Piyush Rout echoed similar concerns, highlighting the highway’s history of frequent accidents involving vehicles, pedestrians, and stray animals. The current situation, with ongoing construction work alongside active traffic, could potentially exacerbate these safety issues.
“The highway is already witnessing a series of issues such as wrong-side driving in the city stretch, illegal and haphazard vehicle parking and more. Instead of solving the existing issues, the authorities are creating more problems,” Rout said.
A senior official of the National Highways Authority of India said that adequate safety measures have been put in place at the construction site. “The current opening will resolve traffic issues while work on the remaining portion will be completed in a month,” the official said.
The partial opening of the flyover raised question mark about the balance between public convenience and safety. While the completion of the project addresses long-standing traffic concerns in the area, the decision to open it before full completion has sparked debate among road safety experts.
Experts, meanwhile, advised local residents and daily commuters to exercise extra caution while using the flyover, particularly during peak hours. They recommend reducing speed and maintaining a safe distance from the ongoing construction activities.
The Hanspal flyover project, which faced numerous delays since its inception, represents a crucial infrastructure development for the area.
