Devotees visiting Shri Mahalakshmi Jagdamba Temple in Koradi during Navratri have begun feeling the brunt of the incomplete Koradi Naka flyover, with traffic congestion adding to the difficulties of reaching one of the region’s most visited religious destinations. Despite optimism expressed by Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule that the flyover would be opened before Navratri, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has failed to meet the target. With the nine-day festival beginning on October 11, the unfinished project has left commuters and devotees negotiating a constricted stretch at a time when traffic towards the temple increases substantially.

 

The expected rise in footfall, coupled with additional attractions planned for the festival, is likely to put further pressure on the already congested Koradi Road. The delay has also raised questions over the coordination between the agencies involved in the project. A major hurdle was the Railway block required to raise the height of high-tension transmission lines crossing the railway corridor. The work could not progress as planned until the necessary blocks were made available by the Railways. Although the Railways have since begun providing blocks, the remaining work is far from complete. NHAI officials have indicated that even after the transmission-line issue is resolved, the flyover will require additional time for completion. Earlier estimates suggested that the work would take more than a month after the cable-related hurdle was cleared.

 

The four-lane flyover, measuring around one kilometre and estimated to cost Rs 45 crore, is intended to ease congestion and improve road safety at Koradi Naka, which had been identified as an accident-prone junction. However, the delay has left motorists facing the very traffic bottlenecks the project is meant to eliminate. Bokhara arm remains on paper: The incomplete Koradi Naka flyover is not the only concern. The proposed arm over the Bokhara railway level crossing, planned as a railway overbridge, is also pending, with construction yet to begin. The main flyover and the Bokhara arm were initially envisaged for execution together. However, railway-related permissions and other hurdles led to the main flyover being taken up separately, leaving the Bokhara component awaiting progress.