SAMBALPUR: Rains have thrown cold water on Public Works Department's (PWD) plan to complete work on Limited Height Subway (LHS) by June 15. With the onset of monsoon, work on the project, which will connect Sakhipada area with Jagannath Colony in the city, has been stopped.
The Sambalpur Division of East Coast Railway is working on the LHS while PWD will construct the approach road on both sides to connect the subway.
Casting work of LHS boxes has already been completed. These boxes will now be pushed under the railway track. The height and width of the subway will be 3.250 metres and six metres respectively. The total length of the subway will be 30 metres.
The State Government has provided fund for the project which will be executed at an estimated cost is `9 crore. While the LHS work is being executed at a cost of `6 crore, the approach roads will be constructed at a cost of `3 crore.
Approach road of around 100 metres will be constructed from Sakhipada side while the other one of around 80 metres will be constructed at Jagannath Colony side. The PWD has started construction of the approach road from Sakhipada side.
On being completed, the project would not only reduce the distance to less than one km but also ease traffic congestion in the city to a great extent. As the railway track was acting as a barrier for connecting Sakhipada area with Jagannath Colony, it was decided that a LHS under the track would resolve the issue.
Presently, residents of Sakhipada area have to travel a distance of about five km to reach Jagannath Colony. The LHS will also help to develop an alternate road to connect various places within the city limits.
Movement of heavy vehicles would not be possible through the subway while car, auto-rickshaws and two-wheelers will get a direct road from Sakhipada to Jagannath Colony, which will subsequently touch Laxmi Talkies Chowk-Ainthapali Chowk main road.
Deputy Executive Engineer of PWD, Sambalpur Narayan Patel said the pushing of the LHS boxes under the railway track had to be postponed due to rains. Work on it will resume immediately after the monsoon, he added.