MP: Mohan Shuns Bridge With 90-degree Turn Until Rectified

Bhopal: A railway overbridge (ROB) here, infamously identified as 'a bridge with 90-degree turn' for its peculiar design, has invited severe trolling on social media and criticism from several quarters, leading Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav to declare to shun it until it is modified.

The 648-meter bridge, constructed over the railway line at the Aishbagh crossing in Bhopal to ease traffic at the particular point, has raised apprehensions of being a hotspot of accidents because of its 90-degree turn.

While a portion of the bridge is constructed by the state public works department (PWD), the remaining part is built by the railways. The ROB, built at a cost of Rs 18 crore, has now been completed and ready for public use.

The ROB has now infamously been called as ‘the bridge with 90-degree turn’ because of the faulty design, causing huge embarrassment to the state government.

Following this, the state public works department (PWD) constituted a committee to probe the technical flaws in the bridge.

The committee which has submitted its report to the government has found flaws in the design and serious lapses in clearance of the design, a senior officer said on Thursday.

The chief minister broke his silence on the issue on Thursday and admitted that the design of the ROB is flawed.

He promised strong action in the matter.

“The bridge will be inaugurated only after the flaws are rectified”, he announced.

Mr. Yadav said works have already begun for necessary modification of the bridge.

The probe committee has found that the design of the ROB was cleared without finalizing the general arrangement drawing (GAD) with the railways, the officer said.

A GAD in railways is a contract document that provides a comprehensive overview of the overall structural elements, components, and how they fit together on a railway project, such as bridges or tracks.

The probe committee has recommended modifications in the ROB by dismantling the existing railing at the sharp 90-degree turn and making the turn a curve by increasing the bridge’s width.

The PWD officials had earlier sought to explain the flawed design by saying that the design was made as per the availability of land.