‘Sakala Janula Samme' has cast its impact on the construction of a parallel bridge at Lakdikapul too as South Central Railway (SCR) authorities are now saying that the construction of the new bridge will be completed by November 20, a month more than the targeted date.
The parallel bridge from the Intelligence Office Building to FAPCCI Marg is being constructed to facilitate smooth flow of traffic at Lakdikapul, a major traffic bottleneck on a key road.
While, the railway authorities are constructing the Road over Bridge (RoB) as per the usual procedure, the GHMC will be constructing the approach roads on either sides of the bridge. The entire project cost is estimated at Rs. 9.14 crore and the Municipal Corporation has agreed to pay the project cost in four instalments.
Bridge construction works that commenced early July this year were to be completed by October 13. SCR authorities have even installed a digital day counter at the site to remind contractors and engineers about the construction progress.
However, construction works got delayed by over a month due to varied reasons, including the general strike taken up by the government employees, including those of the APSRTC and the coal miners. Factors like transportation of goods, power cuts during the strike period have affected the construction works. We are now working to complete the entire construction later this month, said an SCR spokesperson.
He also expressed concern over the ‘delayed' payment schedule by the civic body as two more instalments are due. In any case, even if the bridge is completed, it will take a while before it is put to use as the GHMC is still to acquire properties for widening the road towards Masab Tank.
“There is only one property, spread over 800 square yards, that needs to be acquired and this too would be done to clear way to lay the road in a fortnight,” said GHMC Additional Commissioner (Planning) Dhanunjaya Reddy. “Regarding payment of instalment, in a week's time, the third instalment would also be paid,” he added.
