Flyovers in city plagued by gaps endangering commuter’s life

 

 

The Nagpur city has come to be known as the city of flyovers due to number of flyovers built in the city in recent past with city actively operating at least 13 flyovers and few more under construction. But, the same flyovers have been in news time and again more for wrong reasons including faulty design or inconvenient positioning. The flyovers have once again came into the focus as three flyovers in city, Pardi flyover and Ram Jhula near Railway station, Butibori have developed huge gaps between their spans that are exceeding the permissible limits and also the recently repaired Butibori bridge has again developed the problems at the same spot. 

 

 

 

 

Pardi flyover While inspecting the issues at Pardi flyover, The Hitavada found that the gap between the spans has grown upto 140 mm near Naag river, which is well above the 40 mm permissible limit by the government. This gap seems to be increasing with time as some previous reporting from local media outlets had recorded the gap to be of 80 mm. This gap, might be the biggest, but it is not the only gap on the flyover. Other roads approaching from the Nandanvan, Itwari, and Automotive Square have also rather noticeable gaps near the rotory. This is not the first time that the flyover is showing structural issues. Just few days after the inauguration of the flyover, fallen debris from the flyover damaged a commuter vehicle passing below in February 2025. The flyover was under construction for a long time. Though the ground-breaking was held in August 2014, the construction of the flyover only started in June 2016. The 7 km flyover built at a cost of estimated Rs 600 crore missed its original deadline of June 2019. The first three arms of the flyover from Itwari, Kalamna, and Bhandara road were opened in September 2023, while the remaining two only operationalised in February 2025. 

 

 

 

Ram Jhula The Ram Jhula flyover near the Railway station has also developed gaps between the spans of nearly 100 mm width making the travel on this stretch unsafe for the commuters. Central India's first cable-stayed bridge, 'Ramjhula,' is an impressive sight, but it is also extremely dangerous. In the section in front of the Ram Temple, the stay bridge's spectacular appearance hides a serious flaw, the gaps in the joints of the spans on the pillars are as wide as 100 mm instead of the standard 25 mm. These are major red flags, yet no one is willing to take responsibility for its maintenance. Three different agencies were involved in the bridge's construction, but none are willing to accept accountability, leaving the bridge to its fate. The construction of the bridge began in 2006 at cost of Rs 62.62 crore rupees from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). The bridge features a 200-meter-long cable-stayed section over the railway tracks, with a 56-meter-tall pylon in the middle to which all the cables are connected. The construction, which was supposed to be completed in 2009, was finished in two phases in 2014. Traffic began using the bridge on December 7, 2014. Now, with the obvious and dangerous gaps, there is a fear of a major accident. According to sources, the Municipal Corporation is not responsible for the bridge's maintenance. However, the construction agencies have initiated paperwork to hand over the maintenance responsibility to the Municipal Corporation. 

 

 

 

Butibori flyover The Butibori flyover, which had earlier drawn attention due to structural damage, has once again developed cracks at the exact location of the previous incident, raising serious concerns about the quality of repairs and the safety of daily commuters. The cracks, first noticed by local motorists earlier this week, appear on the expansion joints and adjoining concrete surface. Commuters reported visible gaps, with some sections showing signs of loose material, prompting fears of further deterioration if immediate action is not taken. The flyover, a key link connecting Nagpur to the industrial hub of Butibori, carries thousands of vehicles daily, including heavy transport trucks servicing factories in the region. Past damage at this same spot had necessitated temporary closures, traffic diversions, and repair work by the Public Works Department (PWD). In light of the recurring damage, one lane has now been temporarily closed to heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses, citing safety concerns linked to previous incidents. Officials are also considering repurposing this lane permanently into a cycling track or restricting it to light vehicles only, as part of a long-term safety plan.Preliminary assessments indicate that repeated heavy load stress, combined with suboptimal repair materials, may have contributed to the fresh damage. Local civic bodies have urged swift, durable repairs to prevent further risk, while commuters are advised to exercise caution when crossing the affected stretch until full restoration work is completed.