Indore ROB Design Sparks Safety Row
The z-shaped under-construction ROB in Indore has sparked fear among the locals of safe vehicular movements over it due to provision of double sharp turns in its design.
Bhopal: Amid row over the peculiar 90-degree turn bridge in Bhopal, another railway over bridge (ROB) in Madhya Pradesh has come under public scrutiny for its reported similar design.
The z-shaped under-construction ROB in Indore has sparked fear among the locals of safe vehicular movements over it due to provision of double sharp turns in its design.
BJP Lok Sabha member from Indore Shankar Lalwani has written a letter to state public works department (PWD) minister Rakesh Singh urging him to review the design of the ROB to ensure that it does not turn into an accident hotspot.
The minister has however clarified that the particular under-construction ROB in Indore is being built in accordance with the ‘fully approved technical design and standards’
He said that the ROB design was cleared after a joint survey by the state PWD department and the railways. Both the departments were also involved in the design process.
According to the minister, the 1027.60 meter- long bridge with a width of 12 meters has a total five turns (curves) and they are being constructed as per the guidelines of the Indian Road Congress.
The IRC standards mandate a minimum 15 meter-curve. But the radius of all the turns of the particular ROB is approximately 20 meters, making it completely balanced and safe from the design and structural point of view.
Mr. Lalwani said he assessed from the map that a 90-degree turn was proposed in the design and hence, wrote a letter to the PWD minister to make necessary modifications in the design to avoid sharp turns in the bridge.
Executive Engineer (EE) of the Bridge Construction Department of PWD Gurmeet Kaur Bhatia said the design of the overbridge is being reviewed after media reports regarding 90-degree turn and if necessary, improvement will be done in the design.
The ROB at Aishbagh railway crossing in Bhopal had triggered a row when it was noticed that the overbridge has a 90-degree turn and may turn into an accident hotspot.
This led the state government to initiate the process of rectifying the ‘flaw’ in the overbridge.