Nagpur: The National Highway (NH) division of the state public works department (PWD) is set to miss the deadline for the much-awaited RTO flyover on the busy Amravati Road once again, as multiple important works are yet to be completed. The PWD was supposed to complete the works by July 31 but is now likely to open the flyover to the public by August. The PWD has missed the deadline earlier too, as they were supposed to complete the flyover by March but received an extension until July 31.On Sunday, TOI visited the spot and observed that the PWD has started the work of the retaining wall for the landing of the flyover in front of RTO. However, the bridge reconstruction work is yet to be completed. The PWD has also almost completed the road concretisation work below the flyover from University Campus to Bole Petrol Pump.The PWD has already finished the construction of the 2.85 km long RTO flyover, which starts from University Campus Square and lands near the RTO on the bustling Amravati Road. However, the landing work is pending. For the landing work, the PWD needed to reconstruct a decades-old bridge near the RTO to accommodate the landing.“We have completed two of the three phases of the bridge at RTO and Ravi Nagar. The final phase will be completed in the next 15 days, and simultaneously, the retaining wall’s work in front of the RTO will also be completed within the same time period. We will first complete the retaining wall on the Law College Square to Bole Petrol Pump Square side. The road from Bole Petrol Pump to Law College Square will be closed for traffic after the third phase of bridge reconstruction starts,” said a PWD official.Interestingly, the PWD has also completed the road concretisation work below the flyover. “Now only the work of squares, including Law College, Ravi Nagar, Bharat Nagar, and Futala, is remaining,” said the official.According to PWD sources, the department has sought permission from the garden department of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to cut four heritage trees that are blocking the road below the flyover but were granted oral permission to cut only one tree. “We are awaiting permission to cut one tree, which is right in the middle of the road between Law College Square and the Bole Petrol Pump stretch. We planned a 7-metre road, which would have accommodated two vehicles at a time, but since the permission for three trees was denied, it would create a bottleneck. At the spot, the width has been reduced to 4.5 metres, so if a truck or bus passes from there, other vehicles will not be able to pass,” said the PWD source.The flyover is being built at a cost of Rs245 crores. It was proposed along with the Wadi Flyover as part of the Rs478 crore Amravati Road Traffic Improvement Project (ARTIP) to reduce traffic congestion on the bustling Amravati Road. Both flyovers are a vital part of the ARTIP, which is spearheaded by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
