
Traffic Chaos at Cotton Market Sq To Persist For At Least Four Months
2
Nagpur: Commuters passing through the busy Cotton Market Square will have to endure traffic snarls for at least four to five months more, as two major infrastructure projects continue to disrupt the area.
For the last three months, the area has been witnessing traffic snarls because of the simultaneous infrastructure projects, leaving commuters frustrated.
The Railways shut down the crucial underpass that connects Sitabuldi to Cotton Market for the extension of the fifth and sixth railway lines since the end of April. Simultaneously, MahaMetro barricaded large portions of the main square and installed temporary pillars as part of its ongoing Skywalk construction.
These simultaneous projects have created a major bottleneck, forcing motorists to take long detours and worsening congestion in the area.
With the underpass closed, motorists traveling from Gandhi Sagar towards Sitabuldi currently have to use the other underpass near Anand Talkies. However, at the entrance of this stretch, MahaMetro erected a temporary platform, which is affecting traffic movement.
Similarly, one of the major issues is the movement of heavy vehicles from the railway station side, which passes through the currently opened new underpass.
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The underpass regularly witnesses traffic jams, and the road has become narrow because of the work on the old underpass.
"The underpass at Cotton Market Square is an important link for both sides of the railway line. Since it was closed, the detour route is witnessing heavy traffic jams. Similarly, the square is also in bad condition due to MahaMetro's work, which has reduced the width of the road. The authorities should not have given permission for simultaneous works," said Vishrut Kale, a regular commuter.
In charge of the Cotton Market traffic zone, Pramod Pore said that the underpass is likely to remain closed for more than four to five months. "We gave permission to railways for six months. Currently, three months are completed, but the work could take another four to five months as they are laying the fifth and sixth railway lines. Similarly, MahaMetro's work will take at least three to four months to complete," said Pore, adding that they are regularly deploying traffic cops at the spot during peak hours to regulate traffic.
This means that the area will continue to witness crippled traffic for at least four to five months.
A senior MahaMetro official said that the skywalk work would be completed by the end of October, after which all the temporary structures would be removed.
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