Bhubaneswar: In a great relief to commuters, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has started the repair work of the uneven patches of NH-16 near Satsang Vihar, which was posing a big road safety threat to commuters.
The asphalt on the surface of the highway had melted, leading to bumpy and uneven patches on the road. Road safety experts have attributed the reason to frequent movement of heavy vehicles with their tyres producing heat causing the road surface to melt.

TOI on June 16 had reported the matter, highlighting the issue of the national highway after commuters complained and road safety experts demanded immediate corrective measures.
NHAI sources said the levelling of the 200m uneven surface in the intermediate section of Rasulgarh and Vani Vihar flyovers near Satsang Vihar has been completed, following which a new layer of the bitumen mix will be put on the surface to cover up the patches.
“We regularly check and take up repair and maintenance work of the highway. The repair work on the stretch where the uneven patches were created has been taken up at several points and those will be completed very soon,” NHAI, project director, Bhubaneswar, K Nageswara Rao, said.
Commutes welcomed the move of the highway authorities.
“The patch was such that two and three wheelers often skid,” Sampad Patra, a commuter said.
Road safety expert Syed Maqbool Ali said that the highway authorities should regularly inspect the stretches and if possible, create a grievance redressal system where common people can complaint of such irregularities on the highway.
“Safety of the highway users should be the top priority. The road work should be done following the Indian Road Congress norms. Other road safety details like signage and other should be maintained at all time,” he said.

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