Sluggish pace of work on bridge in Rebbena irks motorists

The delay in kilometre long bridge, falling in package II, in Rebbena mandal is causing traffic snarls and inconvenience to motorists.

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Work on a kilometre long bridge, part of the under-construction Mancherial-Chandrapur national highway 363, falling in package II, in Rebbena mandal centre has been dragging on for over 2 years. The delay is causing traffic snarls and inconvenience to motorists and local business establishments as well.

In order to provide safe and ease vehicular movement and to meet future needs of traffic, the existing 94-kilometre long State highway is being developed into a four-lane stretch from Indaram village in Jaipur mandal of Mancherial district centre to Goyagaon village in Wankidi mandal. The highway passes through Mandamarri, Bellampalli, Tandur, Rebbena, Asifabad and Wankidi mandal centres.

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The project was taken up under National Highway Development Project (NHDP) under Bharatmala Pariyojana-Phase IV on a hybrid annuity mode at an estimated cost of Rs.2,497 crore. The project is divided into two packages. Executing agency of package I is Adani Infra while Dilip BuildCon Limited bagged the work of package II.

While Package-I starts at Indaram junction in Jaipur mandal and terminates at Repallewada in Thandur mandal of Mancherial district, Package-II begins at Repallewada, Pulikunta, Rebbena, Khairigaon, Motuguda, Burguguda, Asifabad, Wankidi, Neemgaon, Bambara and ends at Goyagaon in Wankidi mandal of Kumram Bheem Asifabad district. The work on the package I commenced in August of 2020, the package II began in March of 2021.

The bridge is being created in Rebbena mandal as part of the national highway.

“The work on the bridge is being executed at a sluggish pace. As a consequence, motorists are struggling to cross the stretch. The congestion of the road is leading to traffic jams. Similarly, business establishments are registering losses due to diversion of vehicle movement,” Sanjeev, a local, regretted.

When asked, site engineer Santosh said the delay in handing over land and shifting a pipeline of Mission Bhageeratha scheme hindered the progress of the work on the bridge. He however stated that steps were taken to expedite the work and to throw the facility open to the public at the earliest. Three pedestrian under-passes were going to be built under the bridge.

Meanwhile, authorities of NHAI said that 79. 86 percent of work on the stretch of the package II completed so far and the deadline to hand over the project was August. According to the authorities, 98.7 percent of work relating to Package I got over by July 7. A viaduct in Mandamarri is under progress, while the greenery on the median is being developed.