CGRDC commences repairing of Expressway

Staff Reporter :

RAIPUR,

CGRDC collects soil near over bridges for testing

The Chhattisgarh Road Development Corporation (CGRDC) is in process to start repairing and re-building work on Fafadih-Telibandha-Atal Nagar four-lane Expressway. This express way was in news after the poor quality construction work was exposed. The Expressway Road was totally closed for traffic movements after two people travelling in a car were injured in a road accident when the car they were travelling turned turtle after the vehicle plunged into a crater formed on the Express-way in Telibandha in the month of August, 2019 after a heavy rain.

After the rains many sections of the road got exposed after pot holes were developed on the roads and in some places on the Expressway, road itself had got washed in the rain. After the matter got exposed the government ordered a probe and the CGRDC was forced to close the road for traffic movements. It may be mentioned that 12-km-long Expressway that connects Fafadih to Nava Raipur Atal Nagar was constructed at a cost of around Rs 313 crore during the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and this was a much hyped and ambitious project of the then government.

The CGRDC constructed the Fafadih-Telibandha-Atal Nagar four-lane Expressway on the land of meter gauge railway line in Raipur city for which the government acquired the land from railways. Four flyovers at Devendra Nagar, Pandri, Telibandha and Shankar Nagar have been constructed on 12-kms long Expressway. An elevated corridor has been constructed at Avanti Vihar and Telibandha. Around 7 kms long service road has also been constructed on the Fafadih-Telibandha-Atal Nagar Expressway. Eight small bridges and 12 culverts are also part of the Expressway. Speaking to ‘The Hitavada’, CGRDC General Manager S K Kori said that soils are being collected from near over bridges- Telibandha, Devendra Nagar, Shankar Nagar, Pandri and Fafadih.

The collected soil will be sent to laboratory for testing. If the collected soil is found good for filling of the over bridge, the filling works will be carried out with soil near the over bridges. Walls along with these over bridges are also being demolished. After filling the soils, the repairing work of the over bridges and roads will be carried out by the CGRDC. After completion of the repairing works, the Expressway will be opened for traffic movement, said S K Kori. The report of the soil testing will be received within one week, he added. However, the probe committee has pointed fingers at the PWD Secretary and the Engineer in Chief. Sources informed that the senior officials have not carefully monitored the work. The project was being carried out at Raipur and the officials are also very much posted in the city but even then very much under their nose poor quality work was executed. Many organizations have also demanded action against the responsible officials and filing complaint in the appropriate forum for the poor quality work and alleged misappropriation of funds.