PATNA: The completion of Patna’s inaugural double-decker flyover is experiencing additional delays. Initially scheduled for completion by February, officials from the Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited (BRPNNL) have now indicated that the project timeline has been extended to March 2025. This postponement is primarily due to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC) occupying land necessary for the Patna metro rail initiative. The original deadline for the project was set for January. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had inaugurated the flyover project in December 2021. The 2.2-kilometer flyover, situated on the heavily trafficked Ashok Rajpath, is designed to provide a vital connection between Gandhi Maidan and NIT More, thereby alleviating traffic congestion by allowing vehicles to operate on three different levels. Additionally, provisions for vehicle parking will be incorporated beneath the flyover.
Engineers report that approximately 91% of the civil work has been completed, with the remaining 9% expected to be finalized within the next month. Ongoing tasks include the installation of expansion joints, wearing coat, crack barriers, side railings, noise barriers, service roads, the hanging garden on pillars, and painting, all of which are being executed concurrently. The project, valued at Rs 442 crore, involves the construction of two separate tiers aimed at alleviating traffic congestion. The first tier spans 1.5 km along the educational corridor, linking Patna College to BN College, while the second tier extends 2.2 km from Kargil Chowk to Science College. Each tier consists of two lanes, designed to facilitate unidirectional traffic flow, enabling vehicles to travel from Kargil Chowk towards Science College and from Patna College towards BN College. Both traffic levels are constructed with a width of 7.5 meters to ensure adequate space for vehicular movement.
Engineers have reported the completion of all 120 pillars associated with this ambitious project. Additionally, construction has been finalized on 106 out of 112 spans, which includes the development of the deck slab, girders, and other essential components that constitute the driving surface atop the flyover’s supporting beams. Currently, slab work is ongoing from the Public Health Institute to the PMCH, specifically between pillars 25 to 32 and 41 to 43.
According to data from BRPNNL officials, approximately 99% of the substructure work and 88% of the superstructure work has been completed. The engineers indicated that they managed to construct 16 spans within a month, leaving only 14 slabs remaining, which are anticipated to be finished by the end of this month. “From September to January, we accelerated the construction pace by a factor of 11. Our project could have been completed on schedule if the land adjacent to the Anjuman Islamiya Hall and PMCH had been vacant. Due to the ongoing construction for the underground station of the Patna metro rail project, the deadline for the flyover has been postponed to the end of March. The flyover is expected to be open for traffic by April of this year,” stated the engineer. This structure provides direct access to JP Ganga Path via Krishna Ghat. It features five ramps, which are short sections of road that facilitate vehicle entry and exit from the flyover, located at Krishna Ghat near Patna University, Patna College, BN College, and Kargil Chowk, all of which have been completed. The flyover will connect to the proposed multi-storey car parking facility at the PMCH through four linking points, thereby enabling swift ambulance transit to the hospital while avoiding traffic congestion.
In addition to the 120 spans, an additional 12 spans will be built extending from pillar 26 to the multi-level car parking facility of the PMCH. This construction will commence only after the hospital’s proposed building is completed. Upon the completion of the flyover, traffic will be redirected to the two upper levels while the existing road at grade level will be repaired. The road repair is expected to take three weeks. Given the significant amount of commercial space in this area, parking facilities for vehicles will be established beneath the flyover, according to the officials.
