Decks Cleared: 50-year-old timber market to make way for Bhopal Metro, Relocation begins next week

 

 

 

The biggest hurdle in the path of the highly anticipated Bhopal Metro project is set to be cleared as the relocation of the 50-year-old Pul Patra timber market begins next week. This move clears the deck for the Metro administration to commence its most technically challenging phase: the construction of the ‘Ramp,’ which will bridge the underground and elevated corridors. Rs 5 crore rehabilitation and lottery system: Metro officials confirmed that the shifting of the timber market and the subsequent rehabilitation of traders will incur an estimated expenditure of Rs 5 crore. As a part of this process, a lottery will be conducted this Thursday to allocate new sites for the shops and sawmills being displaced.

 

Ramp construction to commence in March : Groundwork for the Metro ramp is expected to become visible by the first week of March, immediately following the market’s removal. This ramp is a critical engineering component, serving as the transition point where the Metro train emerges from the subterranean tunnel onto the elevated track. Test piling for this section has already commenced near Pul Patra. Survey at Sindhi Colony: Activity is also set to intensify in the Sindhi Colony area. A joint survey of houses and shops falling within the ramp’s alignment is scheduled for next week. Following the removal of encroachments, a combined team from the district administration and Metro will assess properties to determine compensation and initiate land acquisition. Traffic Management and TBM Deployment: Recognising the density of the Pul Patra and Sindhi Colony areas, Metro management has issued strict directives to maintain smooth traffic flow.

 

A detailed traffic management plan is being finalised, which will include partial diversions to minimise inconvenience to local residents and commuters. Meanwhile, excavation for the underground Metro station near the Bhopal Railway Station is proceeding at a rapid pace. Heavy machinery, including Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), has already arrived at the project site. Officials believe that once the timber market is cleared, the project’s momentum will double, ensuring completion within the stipulated timeline. Approximately 35-40 timber cutting machines will be shifted from Pul Patra to the Neelbad area in co-ordination with the Bhopal Metro administration,” said SDM Deepak Pandey.