Slow pace of work on flyover irks traders, business hit

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 7

Shopkeepers on the stretch from the railway crossing to Gurwali on the Amritsar-Tarn Taran road have been complaining about the slow pace of flyover work, which has affected their daily business and lives.

A visit to the area revealed that no construction work was going on, earth-mover machines were standing idle and workers or other staff were also missing. “The work is going on at a snail’s pace. It’s been one year since the work started and till now even the foundation of the pillars has not been laid,” said Pawan Kumar, a shopkeeper.

The construction work is going on in the middle of the road and a narrow stretch of road is left on both sides for the traffic. However, the local administration has managed to avoid huge traffic jams by diverting the route of heavy vehicles.

Another shopkeeper, Sumit Sharma, said, “Not only trucks and buses, even private vehicles take alternative routes to avoid congestion on the road. Now, as the traffic on the road has gone down, so has our sale.”

The shopkeepers said the work should be completed as soon as possible, otherwise it would be hard for us to sustain business. The one and half kilometers stretch on which the flyover is being built is full of potholes and large pits, which restrict the smooth flow of traffic.

Arshdeep Singh, a daily commuter, said, “Buses from Amritsar and Tarn Taran are now routed through villages. It has increased the travel time by half an hour.”