Baripada: With Dwarasuni ghat road on National Highway-49 under Bangiriposi limits in Mayurbhanj district witnessing frequent accidents and subsequent traffic jams, the state Rural Development department has planned for an alternative route to fix the problems.
The department has decided to construct a 31-km long road connecting Bisoi-Joka-Saraskana and Jharpokharia in Mayurbhanj district to fix the problem. The road will be nine metre in width with 5.5 metre of it will be blacktopped. It is expected to get completed towards the end of 2023.
At the outset, the Rural Development department has prepared a plan outlay of Rs 41 crore and sent it for approval by the department authorities. This was stated here by superintending engineer Aswini Dandapata while talking to mediapersons here, Saturday. After construction, the road will prove to be an alternative route to Dwarasuni ghat road (Bamanghati) in the district, he said.
Earlier, the road was connected with two roads built under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana from Bisoi to Hatichhad and from Joka. A blacktopped road connects Joka with Saraskana.
The road, when completed, will resolve the commuting and traffic problem on Dwarasuni ghat. The alternative road will be 14 km more in length than the Dwarasuni ghat road but the commuting time will be same for two roads, he said.
Sources said that the NH-49 connecting Mumbai with Kolkata passes through this 17-km long stretch of Dwarasuni ghat road. Expressing concerns over the frequent mishaps, the state government has written to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) urging to fix the road problems without delay.
However, the NHAI authorities have failed to carry out its expansion and double-laning works as the Union Forest Ministry is yet to give its approval on environmental clearance.
This has stalled the expansion works of the ghat road following which road mishaps have become a regular occurrence leading to deaths and injuries. Mishaps also lead to frequent traffic jams on the ghat road.
The scene of hundreds of vehicles getting stranded on the route for hours together is a regular sight. Several agitations have been carried out demanding expansion of the hilly road but so far they have failed to give any result so far.
Construction of the alternative route became reality after Collector Vineet Bharadwaj called an emergency meeting with the Rural Development department and Works department officials and held a discussion with them on the issue. Later, his discussion with the superintendent engineer paved way for construction of an alternative road.
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