Gill flyover opened to light traffic

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 19

Two months after the collapse of a reinforced wall of the Gill Chowk flyover, the bridge was thrown open to light vehicular traffic on Thursday. Now, commuters would get a major relief from traffic snarls in the city.

The bridge wall collapsed on the night of May 13. As the flyover was closed to traffic, major traffic jams were witnessed across the city.

In June, one side of the bridge (from Dholewal Chowk side towards bus stand) was opened to traffic. Now, the other side of the bridge (from bus stand towards the Dholewal Chowk side) has been opened. Earlier, the repair of the collapsed wall had been under way at this side of the bridge for the past two months.

Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu, along with some Congress leaders and MC officials, opened the bridge to light vehicles. He said now that the repairs had been completed, the bridge would be opened to heavy traffic next week.

Repair work was carried out under the supervision of MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, Cabinet Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu and senior MC officials, said Sandhu.

The MC Superintending Engineer, Dharam Singh, said two-wheelers, cars and other light vehicles were allowed to pass through the bridge. Repair has been completed while it would take some time to allow heavy vehicular traffic to move on the bridge. The garbage dump under the flyover has already been removed, he said.

A committee was formed to conduct an inquiry into the matter. The committee’s report had blamed rats for damaging the flyover. However, a private group of civil engineers had raised questions over the report, alleging that the reason behind the collapsed RE retaining wall was not rats but poor workmanship at the time of construction of this flyover.