After Niranjan, widening of 4 more RUBs on cards
PRAYAGRAJ: After the ongoing work at the railway under bridge (RUB) near Niranjan cinema gets completed, the railways will kick-start widening of the busy RUBs at Rambagh, Sohbatiabagh, Alopibagh and Baghambari Gaddi to lay down a new railway line, said officials.
The proposed works means that even after the work at RUB near Niranjan Cinema, which closed down post-midnight on May 8 for 100 days, the commuters are likely to face traffic jams for many more weeks.
The work of doubling the tracks from Varanasi to Prayagraj Junction is being done by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) for the Varanasi Division of North Eastern Railway. The track doubling work presently remains to be done between Jhunsi and Prayagraj junction. The construction of Ganga bridge between Jhunsi and Daraganj is also a part of this very project, and it is expected to be ready by December 2023, officials shared.
There are four RUBs on the way between Daraganj and Prayagraj Junction and an additional rail line has to be laid here. RVNL has to complete this work by April 2024. Railway wants to take only one block (stopping of road traffic) of a bridge at a time, so that it does not affect the traffic system of the city much.
Project director, RVNL Vinay Agarwal said that an additional rail line is to be laid on all four RUBs. “This work is to be completed by April 2024. The date of when this work will start is yet to be decided. The district administration has made clear that they can give permission for the new block only after the construction of the RUB near Niranjan Cinema is completed,” he added. Among the proposed blocks, the ones in Baihrana and Sohbatiyabagh are expected to affect traffic flow the most in the city.
Everyday thousands of vehicles pass under Baihrana and Sohbatiyabagh RUB. People will have to face a huge jam due to the closure of the road. One road from Baihrana RUB goes to Tikonia and the other to the old Yamuna bridge. In such a situation, there is a plan to block only one road at a time so that the traffic from other roads remains smooth. The same system will be followed for Sohbatiyabagh RUB widening also, officials claimed.