Bhopal’s 90-degree railway overbridge (ROB), which has been embroiled in controversy for a long time, is now moving towards a new design. After constant criticism, viral pictures and being in the national media, the Central Expert Committee has recommended improvements in the dangerous design of the bridge. The committee has suggested increasing the existing 6 meter turn to 16.7 meters. With this amendment, this sharp turn will now end and travel will be safer than ever for heavy vehicles.
This overbridge connects densely populated areas like Aishbagh, where there is heavy traffic pressure every day. Due to flaws in its design, people had to face constant jams and the risk of accidents. For a long time, local residents and daily commuters were raising their voice about this problem. Now they are expected to get a lot of relief from the proposed changes.
After the recommendation of the committee, a new detailed project report (DPR) will now be prepared, which will be submitted to the state government and the Municipal Corporation. This new work will be done under the supervision of the railways and the construction agency. Officials claim that the rectification will not have a major impact on the overall timeline of the project.
The ROB project began on May 21, 2022 at a cost of Rs 17.37 crore and was scheduled to be completed by August 2024, but the work remains incomplete even as of August 2025. When the pictures went viral in June, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav himself intervened and eight engineers were suspended, while the construction agency and design firm were blacklisted.
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