Patna: The proposed traffic restrictions on Nehru Path for the ongoing Patna Metro Rail project have been postponed indefinitely, providing temporary relief to commuters. Authorities had planned to close one carriageway from Saturday to facilitate underground construction, but the decision has been deferred due to the monsoon.Patna traffic SP Sagar Kumar confirmed the district administration had put the lane closure on hold. “Traffic will continue to operate on both sides of the road for the time being. We have already prepared the traffic diversion plan and will implement, when the administration will ask,” he told this newspaper.Officials said underground construction would continue at five locations between the Income Tax roundabout and Patna Zoo without affecting vehicular movement, as barricades are already in place.The decision was taken to prevent severe traffic congestion during the rainy season. Authorities believe restricting one carriageway now would increase pressure on adjoining roads and inconvenience thousands of daily commuters.The original traffic management plan envisaged phased restrictions for nearly three years. Public transport, including buses, autorickshaws and e-rickshaws, was to be barred between Zoo Gate No. 1 and the Income Tax roundabout in two phases. Initially, restrictions were to apply between Zoo Gate No. 1 and Vikas Bhawan before being extended to the Income Tax roundabout after two to three months. A trial of the diversion plan, scheduled for June 21 and 22, was postponed because of the NEET re-examination, as several examination centres were located along the route.Under the proposed arrangement, private vehicles would have been allowed to move only in one direction from Patel Bhawan to Vikas Bhawan. Nehru Path is among Patna’s busiest corridors, witnessing heavy traffic throughout the day because of educational institutions, govt offices, courts and other public places.The 10-km underground section of Corridor I will have stations at Vidyut Bhawan, Vikas Bhawan, the Zoo area, Raja Bazaar and Rukanpura, all connecting to Patna Junction, the interchange station.Officials of Patna Metro Rail Corporation Limited said a launching shaft would be developed near Patna Zoo on the southern side of Nehru Path. “Once it is completed, the tunnel boring machines are expected to be lowered underground by the end of this year. The machines will likely to arrive in Patna by Nov,” the officials said.Two tunnel boring machines will excavate towards Patna Junction and two towards Rukanpura. Officials said traffic restrictions on Nehru Path would be enforced only when construction reached a stage where road closures became unavoidable. Until then, normal traffic movement would continue while Metro work progressed.
