According to a report in local media, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) submitted a revised development project report of Ajni Railway Overbridge to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). Now, the project, which will see replacement of the existing railway bridge with an eight-lane cable-stayed bridge and elliptical rotary junction, will cost about Rs 179 crore.
The report said that the eight-lane cable-stayed ROB will require acquisition of 1.58 hectare, which includes 10 metre wide railway department land on both sides of solid approach, along with a total 24 shops on the existing road on east side of ROB. The building housing the office of Deputy Commissioner of Police will be affected by the proposed approach on the east side. These structures need to be dismantled and rehabilitated.
Now, NMC will submit the proposal to the State Government, seeking funds to replace the existing British era railway overbridge constructed in 1927.
NHAI has also submitted the structural audit report by VNIT and opinion of the railway department about deterioration of the existing RoB structure and the need to rebuild it. NHAI has informed that the competent authority of railways too has approved the proposed construction of 8-lane ROB in lieu of existing Ajni bridge, which comes in Ajni Yard between Ajni and Khapri railway stations on Nagpur-Wardha section of Nagpur division.
According to the report, in the earlier proposal submitted to NHAI, one single-lane arm of 3-lane flyover was proposed to connect the ROB on the east side for traffic coming from InterModal Station (IMS) to ROB. However, as per discussions held between Project Director NHAI Nagpur and NMC Municipal Commissioner on July 29, it was informed that the contract for the IMS at Ajni Nagpur has been terminated. Besides, there was no clarity regarding development of IMS at the same location. Now, the only part of IMS project was to construct the proposed ROB in lieu of the existing Ajni ROB.
As per discussions, the proposed plan of approach on the east side of ROB is modified, deleting the single arm of 3-lane flyover link coming from IMS and providing the service road on both sides of approaches on the east side to facilitate adjacent railway colony and railway offices etc.
Apart from replacing the existing RoB, NHAI’s revised plan also includes improvement of traffic on the west side of the ROB which connects three different roads — FCI Godown, Rahate Colony, and Ajni station. It proposes to construct an elliptical rotary junction with 3-lane carriageway width connecting the approach roads — FCI Godown (4 lane), from Rahate Colony (6 lane) and from Ajni station (4-lane). For construction of this e-Elliptical rotary junction and its connections to approach roads, the land of irrigation and public health department (medical college staff quarter area) will be required.
