Dimapur: Bottlenecks as trial traffic run takes effect

April 15, 2023 72 Views No Comment

Old railway over-bridge showing signs of concrete erosion

Morung Express News
Dimapur | April 15

Bottlenecks were created in several locations of Dimapur on April 14 as the two day trial run of traffic diversion for vehicular movement came into operation. The whole exercise has been undertaken by the Dimapur police to explore viable traffic routes when rehabilitation works begin for the old railway over-bridge at NH-29, which has been in a state of perilous disrepair for several years.

Visible concrete erosion in several portions of the old railway over-bridge in Dimapur. (Morung Photo)

With the new arrangement in place, vehicle owners had to move in long traffic queues for several hours with one person claiming that it took him one hour to reach Supermarket from City Tower junction which normally took 15-20 minutes on other days. Another vehicle owner shared the agonizing experience of sitting inside his car for about an hour or more in the scorching heat.

Two-wheelers were also not spared from the traffic ordeal as several riders were seen illegally riding on the footpaths and sidewalks when they could no longer bear waiting in line.

At the old flyover bridge on NH-29, barricades were put in place which was manned by a few Dimapur traffic policemen.

One of the policemen commented that it was difficult managing the chaos created by the new arrangement; but added nevertheless it was based on the orders from the central command and so they had to do their duty regardless.

Concrete erosion at old railway overbridge
Meanwhile when the Morung Express went to inspect the structure of the over-bridge, the underside of the bridge deck showed visible signs of concrete erosion caused from several decades of usage.

Locals living in its vicinity shared that some of the eroded portions of the structure had been caused a few years back when a fire broke out in one of the thatched houses built just under it. “Since then the concrete has been withering away slowly as heavy trucks and cars drive over it every day,” they said.

The bridge acts as a vital route for commercial vehicles laden with goods entering and exiting Nagaland across inter-state lines.

On the other hand, one individual who was living as a tenant in a house built under the bridge claimed that a few individuals from Kolkata had visited the site to take assessment of the damages a few years back. “They told us the bridge was now beyond repair because even if they do so, the cracks and damages would need repair again and so it would better to dismantle it and build from scratch,” he stated.

The residents living in the vicinity were unaware as to what their fate would be if the government decided to carry out the rehabilitation process of the bridge; but admitted that action needed to be done else the bridge will collapse at any moment. “We will have to move anyway if that happens,” they said.