The District Administration’s recent award for land acquisition near LIC Square has cleared the way for the construction of a flyover in the area. The project had been stalled due to unresolved land acquisition issues.
Stretching 5.6 km from Automotive Square to LIC Square, this flyover has seen the completion of its segment from Automotive Square to Naidu Hospital. However, progress on the section between Naidu Hospital and LIC Square has been stalled due to unresolved land acquisition issues. Traffic police also raised objections during the Winter session of the State Legislature concerning the construction work.
The Winter Session of the State Legislature increased the traffic load on city roads. The police feared that if the construction work had started, closing the road would have caused chaos at the intersection.
District Collector Dr. Vipin Itankar has cleared the land acquisition issue for the flyover project, awarding 2,700 square meters of land with 17 properties, and an estimated Rs. 40 crore in compensation amount. This amount will be paid to the affected parties in the coming days. The officials of Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) has made it clear that they would to complete the final section of the ramp within two and a half months of receiving the land from the civic body. The land is necessary for a service road under the flyover to accommodate heavy traffic.
The flyover’s maximum height is 11.5 meters, and the minimum height is 5.5 meters. The ramp to LIC Square will be 200 meters long and 19 meters wide. Maha Metro reports that more than 80% of the flyover’s construction is done and will complete the remaining work within 70 days once the land is handed over. The road stretch after RBI Square has been blocked due to the wrong landing structure of the Katol Road fly-over, and citizens have to go to Coffee House Square and join Gaddigodam Road from there which has created severe traffic issues. Local residents and businesses, including shops, schools, hospitals, and a prominent Gurudwara, are experiencing significant problems and some of them are asking for compensation for their losses they suffered due to the pending construction work.
Once the landing work is completed, the roads circling Kasturchand Park will need to accommodate traffic from the Katol Road flyover, Automotive flyover, and the two arms of the Kingsway Y-shaped flyover. The public is already experiencing traffic congestion at RBI Square. Initially, the Kamptee Road flyover was planned to land near SFS Cathedral, but this was opposed, leading to the landing being moved further. The ramp will be constructed in a manner that ensures smooth traffic flow and minimizes inconvenience for the public.