Bhubaneswar: Traffic lights here will be removed to ease congestion, and alternatives like overbridge or approach/service roads will be planned to streamline vehicular movement, Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) Minister Krushana Chandra Mahapatra said Tuesday. Addressing media, Mahapatra said that department-level discussions are being held to implement the changes. “People returning home from office, or the general public, often get stuck at traffic signals for hours. They also start two hours early from home to be able to reach offices in time. We will look into alternatives to manage the vehicular flow and relieve commuters of long wait at an intersection for the red signal to turn green. To ensure ease in commuting, a plan will be prepared to remove bottlenecks at places that witness traffic snarls,” he said. The minister said along with doing away with the “red light” from traffic signals to ease congestion, efforts will also be made for controlling crime in various corporations in the state.
Meanwhile, sources said the 60-km-long National Highway from Puri to Bhubaneswar will be made hassle-free keeping in mind the fact a large number of visitors use the road every day. Official sources said all the intersections and market areas along the NH will be illuminated with high mask lights while electric poles will be relocated at least 10 feet away from the road. It has been observed that many vehicles crash into roadside power poles, causing fatal injuries and even deaths.