Guwahati, June 15: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has instructed officials to close either side of AT Road here, where a flyover is being constructed, from 10pm to 5am till June 20, in a bid to avert mishaps such as the one that occurred on Tuesday.
In a freak mishap, an iron shutter plate from the under-construction flyover in Maligaon fell from above and injured two workers. Both of them have been rushed to a nearby hospital. The condition of one of them is stated to be critical.
Taking stock of the work at the flyover-construction site late Wednesday night, the chief minister asked the PWD engineers, including the engineers of the construction companies, to take adequate care to avert recurrence of such incidents.
Reportedly, about 75 percent work of the Maligaon flyover has been completed. The flyover is likely to be opened for public use by September 2023.
Sarma also asked the executing agency to adopt safety measures during construction of the remaining portion of the flyover, including measures such as providing helmets, jackets, etc, for the workers engaged in construction.
Further, the chief minister asked the authorities to chart a traffic plan to make sure that no heavy vehicles ply on the stretch of the AT Road from Jalukbari to Bharalumukh and vice versa.
“Till June 20, one side of the AT Road, where the flyover is being constructed, should be closed for traffic at night. However, this restriction will be relaxed during the Ambubachi festival,” Sarma said.
The chief minister also asked the traffic branch of the city police commissionerate to enforce the restriction strictly.
Considering the inconvenience caused to commuters because of the ongoing construction of the flyovers at AT Road and RG Baruah Road, Sarma asked the construction companies to employ more workers so that the flyovers at AT Road and RG Baruah Road could be dedicated to the service of the people by around September this year.
The chief minister also visited the hospital, where the injured workers are currently undergoing treatment, and instructed the doctors to provide the best treatment.
Earlier in the day, the chief minister had a meeting with the senior officers of the PWD at Janata Bhawan to review the progress and safety of the construction work of the flyovers at both AT Road in Maligaon and RG Baruah Road.