ARINDAM GANGULY, OP
Bhubaneswar: The much-awaited foot over bridge (FOB) at Palasuni over National Highway (NH)-16 between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar was inaugurated Wednesday by Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi, addressing a long-pending demand for pedestrian safety. The FOB, built at an estimated cost of Rs 2 crore, was a necessity due to frequent accidents and fatalities in the area caused by the lack of a safe pedestrian crossing.
Speaking at the event, MP Sarangi said, “This FOB will improve infrastructure, reduce traffic congestion, and enhance pedestrian safety.” Additionally, two more FOBs at Tankapani Road and Nakhara will be constructed soon,” she added. For years, residents of Palasuni had raised concerns over increasing accidents due to wrong-side driving, haphazard parking, and encroachments on NH-16. The absence of a pedestrian bridge had made it extremely dangerous for people to cross the highway. Social activist and local resident Natayan Prusty, who had been advocating for the FOB for the last seven years, expressed relief at its completion. “Many lives were lost due to the lack of a proper pedestrian crossing. We fought for this for years, and today, we finally have a safe passage,” he said. MP Sarangi has been actively involved in improving road infrastructure in the region.
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Recently, she also inaugurated a long-awaited flyover near Hanspal on NH-16 to address traffic congestion and reduce accidents. “With the opening of the flyover, travel time between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar will decrease, and safety will improve significantly,” she noted. As part of broader traffic management initiatives, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had earlier directed the construction of at least four FOBs and a flyover at Khurda Road. These include one near Rajdhani College at Baramunda and two at Manguli on the Chandikhole-Jagatpur-Bhubaneswar section of NH-16, with a combined estimated cost of over Rs 7 crore. The projects, undertaken through the Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode, are designed to improve road safety, ease traffic congestion, and provide a smoother, more secure commuting experience for residents and travelers.