Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari and chief minister Mohan Yadav will formally open the 7-km-long flyover in Jabalpur today, which would also be the longest flyover of the state, The Times of India reported.
The structure, stretches from Damoh crossing to Madan Mahal in Jabalpur. At its endpoint, the flyover will connect to a cable-stay bridge built over Madan Mahal railway station, which will also become the state’s longest cable-stay bridge.
The project is expected to bring big relief to commuters who often face heavy traffic on this route. Currently, it takes around 40 minutes to travel the stretch, but once the flyover opens, the same journey could take just 10 minutes.
As per TOI, the foundation stone for the project was laid in February 2019, though it had been cleared earlier in 2016. Initially planned to finish in three years, the project took almost six years to complete. During this period, the cost rose from the original estimate of Rs 758 crore to Rs 1,053 crore. Additionally, the flyover length increased by 1 km. The construction took 2,190 days, averaging 3.5 metres per day at a cost of Rs 1.20 crore each day.
This will technically be the second inauguration of the flyover. In September 2023, former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had opened the section from Mahananda to Madan Mahal, which led to criticism from the Congress, who accused the ruling BJP of rushing to open an incomplete project before the assembly elections.
Earlier this year, in June, Congress workers even attempted their own symbolic inauguration, alleging that the government was unnecessarily delaying the project. Police had to use water cannons to disperse the protestors.
There were also allegations that cracks had developed in parts of the flyover before its formal opening. The Congress blamed state PWD minister Rakesh Singh, a local MLA, and accused him of corruption. However, a probe led by PWD additional chief secretary Neeraj Mandloi dismissed these concerns, saying the structure and design were sound.
The project also faced legal challenges during its construction. Senior legal figures, including former judges, moved the Madhya Pradesh high court arguing that the flyover was wider than what was approved in the city’s Master Plan and that land had been taken without proper compensation. The high court later ordered that compensation must be paid to all affected residents as per law.
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