Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to inaugurate the rail overbridge at Pokhariput connecting Jagamara, Sundarpada, Bhimatangi and Old Town Thursday. The Works department has completed all the preparations for the same.
According to sources, the construction work for the overbridge that had commenced in 2012 was completed in the first week of August 2018. The 653-metre bridge involving an expenditure of Rs 32.55 crore is constructed by Panda Infra that had undertaken the controversial Bomikhal overbridge project.
It may be mentioned here that the bridge was scheduled to be completed by 2014. However, several issues like land acquisition and encroachment led to the delay in its completion. Construction work resumed after settlement of all legal issues in 2017.
“The bridge was initially scheduled to be thrown open to public August 10. However, it was postponed to August 17 due to busy schedule of the chief minister. It was delayed again due to the demise of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee,” said a senior Works department official.