The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will perform Bhoomi Pujan of the proposed Underpass from Manas Square to the Institute of Science near Zero Mile Metro Station, here on Saturday Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis will be Guest of Honour for the event.
The event would be held at 11 a.m. and would also be attended by local legislators and other dignitaries. The work would be executed by Maha Metro and would be part of the Central Road Fund (CRF). The proposed underpass would be 870 meters long and will have three entry/exit points.
Three boxes – 5.5m5.5m (2 each) and 10.5m5.5m (one) would be part of the underpass. The total cost of the project is ₹ 79.67 crore. The underpass would help reduce traffic on the much-congested stretch of Manas Square and Loha Pul. The underpass would be located across both sides of Wardha Road (National Highway).
One end of the underpass would be near Manas Square and the other near the Institute of Science. It would run parallel to Ansari Road (Tekadi Road). The proposed underpass would also help in decongesting the nearby areas and localities with prominent institutions like Bhavan School, BSNL Office, and Forest Department Office to name a few.
It may be recalled that the Underpass at Iron Bridge (Loha Pul) and Y-shaped flyover from Ram Jhula to LIC and RBI Squares – both constructed by Maha Metro as part of CRF – were inaugurated earlier this year. Maha Metro has also demolished the road opposite the Railway Station and has undertaken construction of the proposed road.
The entire area comprising important points like Manas Square, Iron Bridge (Loha Pul), Zero Mile, Wardha Road, Ansari Road experiences traffic congestion all throughout and it peaks during evening rush hour. Once constructed, the proposed underpass would help in decongesting these areas to a great extent.