ROURKELA: The Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) has proposed to take up widening of 10 highly congested roads between Main Road and Mahatab Road under the Smart City plan. Earlier, the proposal was included in the Comprehensive Development Plan and the City Development Plan.
The undivided Rourkela city, which has a population of about 5.25 lakh, is estimated to have two lakh vehicles and continues to grapple with traffic problem due to lack of adequate parking lots.
The administration has decided to go ahead with ongoing expansion of the Main Road to ease traffic pressure. However, given the limited availability of space on the road, diversion of vehicular traffic to Mahatab Road that runs parallel from Traffic Gate to Uditnagar, is indispensable. For 25 years now, driving on Mahatab Road remains a nightmare as slum dwellers use it as their fiefdom.
Moreover, diversion of vehicular traffic to Mahatab Road through DAV School Lane, Deluxe Hotel Lane, AB Lane, Nala Road, Plant Site Road, Janata Niwas Road, Power House Road, Bisra Dahar Lane and Orampara Road is not possible due to congestion.
At the same time, carriageways to end parts of DAV School Lane, Deluxe Hotel Lane, Nala Road and Janata Niwas Lane have been narrowed by five to six feet with illegal construction of residential and commercial complexes.
Although the connecting link of MS Marg is in service, it requires immediate widening with demolition of encroachments. GT Lane also requires widening to divert traffic to Mahatab Road via Traffic Gate Market, said a resident SS Sharma.
Rourkela ADM and RMC administrator K Sudershan Chakravorty said Mahatab Road would be activated with development of slums there. At present, removal of encroachments to widen the connecting road links has become essential, he added.
Road Woes
2 Steel City continues to grapple with traffic problem due to lack of adequate parking lots
2 For 25 years now, driving on Mahatab Road remains a nightmare as slum dwellers use it as their fiefdom
2 Undivided Rourkela city has around two lakh vehicles
2 RMC has proposed to take up widening 10 highly congested roads between Main Road and Mahatab Road