Delay in Teegalaguttapalli ROB construction comes under spotlight again ahead of KMC elections

The inordinate delay in completing the Road Over Bridge (ROB) at Teegalaguttapalli in Karimnagar remains one of the major issues facing residents of 2^nd and 3^rd divisions in the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation (KMC) limits.

The pressing issue affecting commuters and local residents alike has come into the spotlight yet again ahead of the municipal elections slated for February 11.

Motorists wait in a long queue at the railway level crossing, where a Road Over Bridge is under construction near the railway station in Karimnagar.
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The ROB, the foundation stone of which was laid in July 2023, is yet to be completed. The ROB works were subsequently taken up under the Central government’s Setu Bandhan programme at an estimated cost of ₹154 crore. It was designed to alleviate traffic snarls at the busy railway level crossing near Karimnagar railway station.

Even as the blame game between the main political parties continue over its delay, traffic snarls at the busy stretch of Karimnagar-Luxettipet highway have become a daily ordeal at the incomplete structure. Additionally, the clouds of dust that emanate from the ROB construction site have become a matter of concern for motorists as well as residents in the surrounding areas.

Residents of several colonies in the 2nd and 3rd divisions have created a WhatsApp group in pursuit of their efforts to prevail upon the authorities concerned to ensure speedy completion of the ROB.

Traffic congestion is a common sight during peak hour traffic at the railway level crossing, points out Tirupathi, a resident of Teegalaguttapalli.

There were several instances where ambulances carrying critically-ill patients were stuck in massive traffic jams, he recalls.

Our consistent queries with the personnel at the ROB worksite met with cryptic replies citing ‘land acquisition’ and other issues, laments Ramesh, a resident of Saraswathi Nagar.

“We don’t want any further assurances and speedy completion of the ROB is the only solution to our daily ordeal,” he insists.

The officials concerned were not available for a comment on the exact reason for the delay in completing the ROB works.