Morinda bypass: Work on rail overbridge resumed

Chandigarh, April 29
A bypass started in the late 90s to facilitate smooth movement of traffic on the high-volume Chandigarh-Ludhiana road, that saw various obstacles, will at last be completed in a month or so.
Though the incomplete Morinda bypass, with only one of two rail over-bridges(ROBs) completed, was thrown open to traffic on August 1, 2006, work on the second ROB saw various hurdles.
A dispute between the Indian Railway and the civil contractor and delay in lowering the high-tension overhead power cable are the “official” causes for the delay in the completion of the second ROB. Some misunderstanding between the Punjab Government and the Railways rendered the approach ramps, completed in 2006, useless, wasting an investment of crores of rupees. So much so that columns on which the joining slab is now being laid were completed in 2008.
Section Engineer BK Narang admits delay in the completion of the second ROB. He cites many reasons. He says since the Chandigarh-Morinda rail track is electrified, lowering of the high-tension power cable proved to be a highly technical job.
“We tried constructing speed barriers and putting up steel barricades to prevent the movement of commercial vehicles, including trucks and buses, but without any success. Road users would dismantle all such structure, forcing us to delay the cable work.
“Finally we had to take police help. Now the police have put up check barriers on either side of the bypass 1.5 ft below the proposed joining slab. We brought down the high-tension (HT) cable in early April. Under safety rules, the HT cable has to be 1.5 ft below an overhead bridge and from the roof of the rail coach.
“We had a dispute with the earlier contractor. Now we have a new contractor. All the scaffoldings are new. Till the joining slab is laid, we are observing all safety norms, allowing trains to move at a speed of 20 km an hour,” says Narang, quoting from a survey conducted by the Railways that says 44,232 vehicles use the bypasss everyday.
Though work on laying the joining slab is in full swing, the Public Works Department and Infrastructure Development Board are yet to start work on joining the approach ramps with the Chandigarh-Ludhiana road.
Says PS Aujla, Principal Secretary, PWD, Punjab: “ Soon after taking over, I wanted this long-pending project to be taken up on a war footing. I have fixed May 30 as the deadline for the completion of the second ROB.”
Senior Railways and PWD officials have been visiting the site regularly to oversee the progress of work. The approach ramps, too, will need a fresh strip of premix. Even the stormwater drainage channels, now chocked, need to be cleared before the onset of the South-West Monsoon.

About the bridge

• Morinda bypass was inaugurated on August 1, 2006, by the then Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh with only one of two proposed rail over-bridges (ROBs) completed
• Work on the second ROB and approach roads, which was to be completed in May 2008, was held up for several reasons
• The completed Morinda bypass will now be commissioned by May-end or early June