NHAI initiates much-needed repairs on Doraha flyover

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) initiated much-needed repairs on the Doraha flyover on Tuesday after the miserable condition of the road and the plight of commuters were highlighted in these columns last month.

Potholes on the surface of the flyover had made commuting a cumbersome affair, and residents had been complaining for over a year.

NHAI engineer Ankit told this correspondent that milling of the road had been initiated, after which a DC overlay shall be accomplished on the entire flyover. “The repair on this flyover has been included in major repairs as the rutting and cracks were posing to be problematic for motorists. Once this is completed, the entire stretch from Khanna to Jalandhar shall be overseen and repaired on urgency as per the requirement,” he added. When asked about the repairs of the expansion joints, the engineer said it would be considered in the next phase of repairs.

The expansion joints on the flyover are in a miserable state. Commuters had been raising concerns over the huge toll extractions in return for negligible facilities. The worn-out expansion joints led to a number of accidents on the flyover.

“It is s sorry state of affairs. The authorities have to be roused from their slumber by the media, otherwise, they are insensitive to the inconvenience being faced by commuters, and that, too, in a situation where crores in the form of tax are at stake!” rued a commuter.

The repair work on the flyover, meanwhile, led to a huge traffic jam and subsequent harassment of motorists for hours together, with no authority to come to their rescue. The commuters remained stranded as one side was closed for repairs without any prior information or diversion. “Now, the repairs, too, shall be initiated at the cost of our precious time, it seems,” complained a commuter, who had an appointment with a doctor in Delhi but was delayed due to the traffic jam.

Doraha SHO Jaswinder Singh said the local police had no information of the repairs to be initiated by the NHAI today. “Had the highway authorities informed us, we would have diverted the traffic onto alternative routes. I, too, was stuck in the jam for an hour or so. If the repairs continue tomorrow as well, we need to make prior arrangements,” he said.