Nagpur: Contrary to the earlier announced plans of transforming it into a 6-lane road, Maha Metro has commenced the construction of a 4-lane road in front of Nagpur Railway Station due to the unavailability of extra land for the originally intended expansion.
As per a local media report, Maha Metro aims to complete the construction of this 950-meter four-lane road within the span of 100 days. Initially, Maha Metro had outlined an ambitious plan for a six-lane road stretching from Jaistambh Square to Manas Chowk. To facilitate this extensive project, Maha Metro swiftly demolished the flyover opposite the Railway Station in a mere 28 days, along with the removal of all the shops located underneath the flyover.
For the realization of the originally proposed six-lane road, Maha Metro needed land allocations from the defence, Indian Railways, and the Madhya Pradesh Transport Corporation. Approximately 4,000 square feet of land was sought for this purpose. Notably, the flyover occupied a substantial 8,526 square meters of land, and the road’s width, spanning 850 metres after the flyover’s demolition, varied between 16 to 21 metres.
Encountering obstacles in acquiring the requisite land, Maha Metro has opted to initiate construction as a four-lane road for the time being. The authorities assure that this road will be expanded as soon as the needed land is secured, and the broader project will subsequently proceed.
With the onset of construction for the four-lane road, the contract for road widening has been awarded to a firm named ‘NCC.’ Maha Metro estimates the total cost of the new road work in front of the railway station to be around Rs 32 crore.
The recent development deviates from the extensive Jaistambh Traffic Improvement Scheme that was originally designed in 2019 with a budget of Rs 234 crore. This comprehensive project, championed by Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, included various traffic development initiatives.
In the course of this initiative, a railway underpass was successfully constructed, connecting Manas Chowk with Cotton Market Square. Additionally, a Y-shaped flyover was erected, stretching from Kingsway Hospital to Ram Jhula and Kasturchand Park, further enhancing the city’s transportation infrastructure.