SAMBALPUR: The much-awaited Laxmi talkies square flyover, connecting Dhuchrapada with the Nelson Mandela Chowk in the city, was inaugurated on Friday after close to seven years since the project was commissioned.
Works Minister, Government of Odisha, Prafulla Mallick inaugurated it in presence of leader of Opposition in the State Assembly and Sambalpur MLA, Jayanarayan Mishra, Sambalpur MP Nitesh Ganga Deb besides RDC, ND, Suresh Chandra Dalai, Sambalpur Collector, Ananya Das, Rengali MLA Nauri Naik and officials of the district administration.
“I am hopeful that the traffic problem of Sambalpur city will be resolved and the work on the service road and drain completed shortly,” Mallick said during the launch. The flyover was proposed to ease the flow of traffic at two of the busiest squares in the city - Laxmi Talkies Chowk and Golebazar Chowk between Church Chowk and Nelson Mandela Chowk. However, the inordinate delay in the completion of the bridge had left the residents disgruntled.
Sambalpur MLA Jayanarayan Mishra said the flyover work took a long time and still has problems of drainage, obstruction on the service road and black spots yet to be resolved. “I have discussed this with the officials of PWD and work will be carried out at the earliest,” Mishra added.
Project details
1,880 metre long
Constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 119.4 crore
Commissioned in March 2016.
Initially, the length was to be 1,540 and estimated cost Rs 62 crore
Design was changed and length increased
PWD had set a target to complete the flyover in 15 months