Bumpy ride for commuters near Kantatoli & Sirom Toli flyovers

Ranchi: The kilometre-long stretch between Kantatoli Chowk and Bahu Bazar Chowk is giving a tough time to the motorists for months now.
While the ongoing Kantatoli flyover construction has further shrunk manoeuvering space for vehicles in the narrow two-lane road, potholes and the absence of asphalt top is making the lives of commuters who use the stretch to reach the interstate bus terminus at Khadgarha and the Ranchi railway station miserable.
“The entire stretch of the road from Kantatoli to Babu Bazar is broken. The construction of the flyover will take more than a year to complete. The authorities must fix the road so that traffic flow is smooth,” said Divyanshu Jha of Radium Road.
Bablu Choudhary, a Hindpiri resident who runs a shop at Albert Ekka Chowk, nearly missed his train to Rampurhat in West Bengal a week ago. “Since the construction of the flyover began, the traffic movement has slowed due to the potholes and narrowing down of the road. The traffic snarls on the Kantatoli-Bahu Bazar stretch become worse during peak traffic hours,” he added.
Citizens are concerned about the safety on the road after the monsoon sets in. “Prolonged rains will turn dirt into mud, making the stretch slippery. Accidents might happen,” Nageshwar Mahto, an e-rickshaw driver who ferries passengers to the station every day, claimed.
Sources in the Jharkhand Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (JUIDCO), which is building the flyover, said re-laying the road with asphalt now will not be a feasible option now. “Girders, which are being built at a factory in Namkum, need to be transported in cranes. The blacktop will wither away. It will be wise to repair the stretch once the moving of girders is completed,” a JUIDCO official said on condition of anonymity.
A few kilometers away, Nivaranpur and Anantpur residents are facing similar difficulties as the construction of the Rs 340 crore elevated road project between Sirom Toli Chowk to Mecon roundabout via Rajender Chowk picks up pace.
“Roads have been dug up for the elevated road project and an underground water pipeline project by the PHED department. Accidents are happening frequently, and motorcyclists are suffering fractures after falling off their vehicles.
“We urged the junior engineer of the PHED department to repair the road, but he said the onus lied with the contractors who are building the elevated road. The contractors, when approached, passed the buck to the PHED department,” Sanjay Singh, Nivaranpur resident and the owner of one Hot Pot restaurant in the locality, said.