Bhubaneswar: A truck caught fire atop Palasuni bridge during Wednesday evening rush hour, leading to traffic congestion along NH-16 and turning the spotlight back on the stretch known for frequent accidents.The incident triggered massive traffic congestion on both carriageways for over an hour, with vehicles crawling from Vani Vihar towards Hanspal, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded on the stretch.Traffic police diverted vehicles for emergency operations as flames engulfed the truck, though no casualty was reported. “We literally moved at a snail’s pace. To cover a mere 500 metres, it took half an hour,” said Hanspal resident Kartika Ojha.The Palasuni section of NH-16 is a narrow stretch with four lanes and any disturbance here creates a ripple effect on the entire highway stretch that runs through the heart of the city. The six-lane NH-16 narrows down to four at Palasuni, causing congestion and safety issues for commuters.Palasuni has long been categorised as a black spot, witnessing a series of fatal accidents over the years. Residents and commuters say Wednesday’s incident revived the fear.“This is not an isolated incident. Every few weeks, something happens here — an accident, oil spill, breakdown or congestion that puts lives at risk. People crossing or even stopping here after dark remain in constant fear,” said Debashis Dutta, a local shopkeeper.The latest fire incident comes barely months after repeated accidents made headlines at Palasuni earlier this year. In Jan, a borewell truck carrying hydraulic oil spilled hundreds of litres of oil on the highway, forcing authorities to shut the stretch.The oil-spill incident led to the stretch being shut for nearly four hours. On another occasion, two cars collided at high speed, with one vehicle climbing over the other and remaining precariously tilted on the highway for nearly an hour.According to experts, the mix of heavy vehicles, high speeds, inadequate lane discipline and frequent pedestrian crossings continues to make Palasuni one of the most vulnerable sites despite infrastructure upgrades taken up.“Palasuni has multiple conflict points such as merging traffic, service roads, pedestrian movement and heavy trucks entering the city. Without sustained traffic calming and strict enforcement, accidents will continue,” said Syed Maqbool Ali, a road safety expert.The National Highways Authority of India, or NHAI, said several corrective measures are already underway. These include operationalisation of a foot overbridge for pedestrians and ongoing widening of the NH-16 Palasuni stretch from four to six lanes.“We have taken immediate action during every incident to prevent further damage or accidents. Long-term infrastructure upgrades are in progress to improve traffic flow and safety,” said an NHAI spokesperson.
