Kamptee Road flyover not to start opposite SFS Cathedral

Nagpur: Residents of Gaddigodam can finally heave a sigh of relief as National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has cleared MahaMetro’s revised design of Kamptee Road double decker flyover. Now, the flyover will start between Patni Automobiles and LIC Square and not opposite SFS Cathedral.
The initial design envisaged the flyover beginning opposite the Cathedral. Residents of Gaddigodam opposed it tooth and nail as they feared for the lives of churchgoers and schoolchildren. There are several schools near the Cathedral. The residents met Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari, who asked MahaMetro to revise its design.
A senior MahaMetro official said that the new design would save some money as land acquisition cost will be less. The cost of the flyover is about Rs550 crore. “Now, NHAI will have to ask Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to acquire land for the flyover as per revised design. Some six or seven buildings will have to be partially razed,” he said.
NMC will have to acquire about 2,700 square metre land at the cost of about Rs50 crore. NMC had planned to approach the state government for bearing 70% cost of land acquisition. The Devendra Fadnavis government had launched Nagari Utthan Mission in this regard.
Due to cash crunch, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government has put all such proposals on hold. Consequently, NMC will have to pay Rs50 crore from its own pocket, which seems difficult.
The MahaMetro official said that in case NMC is unable to cough up the amount the flyover will remain incomplete. “We will construct the entire structure except the ramp near LIC Square. Construction on the remaining portion is even otherwise going on. The incomplete flyover will not affect the construction of Metro viaduct as it had been cleared about a year ago by NHAI,” he said.
Father Patrick of SFS Cathedral said that he and other residents of Gaddigodam were very happy over the decision. “I am thankful to minister Gadkari for keeping his word. He had been assuring us all the time that the ramp would be shifted and that has happened,” he said.