Bhubaneswar: Principal Secretary of the Works Department, Sanjay Kumar Singh, on Monday inspected the ongoing construction of the Matiapada Rail Over Bridge (ROB) on National Highway 316 and directed officials to expedite the remaining work to ensure completion ahead of Rath Yatra 2026.
During the inspection, the Principal Secretary reviewed the progress of the project and held discussions with officials regarding measures for early completion of the pending works. He instructed engineers to speed up the casting of girders and deck slabs for the remaining spans, including the bow string girder over the railway level crossing.
Senior officials present during the inspection included Chief Engineer (National Highways) Narayan Patel, Superintending Engineer Soumya Ranjan Dwivedi, Railway Superintending Engineer Papun Kumar Pradhan, and representatives of the executing agency.
Singh also directed the officials to accelerate the construction of Reinforced Earth (RE) walls and service roads to ensure smoother traffic movement in the area.
Highlighting the expected surge in vehicular movement during the annual Rath Yatra in Puri, the Principal Secretary emphasised that the project must be completed within the stipulated timeline so as to facilitate seamless traffic flow and provide convenience to devotees and the general public.
