Joda: The longest flyover in Odisha is being constructed at the mineral-rich Joda block in Keonjhar district and will be operational soon, according to officials involved with the project. The flyover is being constructed with funds sanctioned by the district mineral foundation (DMF) here to provide people relief from travelling on congested and polluted roads. Work on the flyover started in 2020 and is now in its final stage.
Notably, roads in this town are perennially congested due to traffic snarls. This also gives rise to high levels of pollution as more than 7,000 mineral-laden trucks ply along this road on a daily basis. So the flyover will certainly be a huge relief for residents of this town and visitors. The flyover after its completion will be the largest in the state paving the way for development in the region, officials of Odisha Bridge Construction Corporation (OBCC) said.
Sources said the flyover is being constructed at a planned outlay of Rs 206 crore sanctioned by DMF. The flyover starts from Ranasal near National Highway-520 and goes to Kamarjoda for a stretch of 4.487km. The actual flyover is 2.980km in length. The flyover will be 12 metre wide while two service roads (each 5.5 metres wide) will pass under it.
To prevent waterlogging drains with 5.5 metre width will be constructed on both sides of the service roads. The deadline for completion of the flyover has been fixed for December 31. However, the work may get delayed due to some unavoidable circumstances, Bhagirathi Panda, human resources officer of the consultancy agency said. The load capacity of the flyover is 400 metric tonne. The service road that will go inside this town is being constructed with pavement quality concrete (PQC) which will last for a period of 20 years. Flowers and plants will be used on the roadside for beautification while sufficient lighting arrangements will be done to facilitate the users.
Susant Barik, secretary of Joda Truck Owners’ Association said residents, students, and guardians have been demanding for a long time a solution to the unending traffic snarls. He added that once the flyover is functional, woes of the town’s residents will substantially recede. Barik pointed out that the flyover will also be of great relief to truck owners as it will facilitate the transportation of minerals quickly and smoothly.