Chhatrapur: After years of public demand and a series of fatal accidents, construction of an overbridge at a major traffic junction along the National Highway 16 in Chhatrapur is all set to begin with a foundation stone-laying ceremony scheduled for Friday.
State Transport, Commerce, Mines and Steel Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena and Chhatrapur MLA Krushna Chandra Nayak will lay the foundation stone near Science College Square following completion of the formal tender process.
The overbridge will be built at the busy DRDA Square and Science College Square area along the national highway, a stretch long considered accident-prone by local residents. For years, pedestrians, including students, traders and commuters from nearby villages, have risked crossing the highway amid heavy traffic. Several fatal accidents at the site fuelled repeated demands for an overbridge.
In 2017, a gas tanker overturned in the area, killing two people and triggering panic across Chhatrapur town. Residents also recall several other tragic incidents in which family members lost their lives while crossing or travelling along the highway. Public protests and road blockades had been organised multiple times over the years, demanding immediate construction of an overbridge, but the project had remained stalled.
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