Commuters celebrate as new city flyover reduces travel time
Ranchi: The Siromtoli flyover, inaugurated on Thursday by chief minister Hemant Soren amid protests by various tribal outfits to demolish the flyover's ramp in front of the Kendriya Sarna Sthal, has become a popular spot among motorists and citizens alike.
The newly built structure has not only eased traffic congestion but also significantly reduced the travel time for commuters. Motorists are eager to try a ride over the new flyover, which connects the Mecon roundabout to Siromtoli via the Rajendra Chowk. Many of them were seen clicking selfies on the flyover.
When TOI took a ride on the flyover from the Siromtoli Chowk at 1.30 pm on Friday and returned to the spot via the Mecon Chowk, the whole to-and-fro journey took only 10 minutes, a distance which would take at least half an hour without the flyover.
Meanwhile, Ranchites expressed satisfaction with the govt's intervention in the timely completion of the project. The 2.34-km project built at a cost of Rs 355.76 crore, began in 2022. Sumit Kumar, a commuter, told TOI, "We are happy that the flyover is now open. Earlier, we had to take a longer route to reach the Mecon Chowk from Siromtoli via Sujata Chowk which used to take at least 30 minutes or even more during rush hours.
We can cover the same distance in 10-12 minutes, saving both fuel and time."
An autorickshaw driver, Riyaz Khan, said, "Now, we can make more trips in a day as it takes less time to travel. It will increase our monthly income. Once the elevated corridor connecting the flyover at Kantatoli is completed, it will further ease the traffic. Due to ongoing construction of the corridor now, we still are facing inconvenience."
Many residents also flocked to the flyover to click selfies and make reels. Some citizens have, however, raised safety concerns over such activities.
"The administration has to be strict and vigilant so that no untoward incident takes place," Ashutosh Kumar, a senior citizen said.
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