Haryana mahapanchayat raises alarm over Bilaspur flyover delays, calls for urgent action

GURGAON: A mahapanchayat was organised in Bilaspur on Sunday, with attendees from 108 villages demanding step to complete the stalled flyover construction on Delhi-Jaipur highway.
Villagers submitted a memorandum to union highways minister Nitin Gadkari through SDM Manesar and Pataudi, expressing their discontent over the delay.
The flyover at Bilaspur Chowk, a critical structure to ease the congestion, was approved in 2015, with the foundation laid in March 2022 and scheduled deadline of completion in Oct 2024.The project was later transferred to project implementation unit (PIU) Jaipur from PIU Rewari as part of a larger plan for the upgradation of NH-8.
The memorandum outlines several demands, including the immediate resumption of construction, removal of illegal encroachments on highway land, construction of U-turns for private vehicles, and the installation of foot over bridges to ensure pedestrian safety.
The construction began last year in May and over the last few months, work has been halted, creating disruptions for the locals and commuters. Sources in the NHAI said that the work has been held up in the initial stage as the contractor is facing financial constraints.
Locals voiced their concerns over the absence of proper service lanes, the narrow and damaged diversion routes leading to traffic jams stretching 5 to 10kmThe lack of pedestrian infrastructure, such as foot bridges or underpasses, has resulted in numerous accidents, some of them fatal.
Residents have also emphasised the impact on school children, who are facing delays in travel due to traffic chaos.
Manbir Singh, sarpanch, Bhora Kalan said, "Every day, we are facing long traffic jams, dangerous road conditions, and fear of accidents. We have submitted our memorandum to the government and if the situation does not improve, we will intensify our protest."
The flyover, with an estimated cost of Rs 25 crore, has a total length of 850m with three sections. The project also included construction of smart vehicle underpasses. Once completed, it aims to streamline traffic and reduce congestion, providing uninterrupted travel across Bilaspur Chowk. However, the deadline for the project is far from completion with only 15-20% of the work completed so far.
NHAI has attributed the delay to shifting of electricity cables and rain,. "The road diversion has been taken but due to rain, its condition has deteriorated," an official said. Ajay Arya, project director, project implementing unit of Jaipur said, "Now rains make it difficult to excavate the road. However, we are hoping to complete it by Jan 2025."