PURI: Ground survey of a proposed railway over bridge (ROB) at Matiapada along NH-316 was started from Friday.A team of engineers led by District Land Acquisition Officer PK Jena have been engaged to measure the length and width of around one km approach road from both ends of the project. The district administration had served land acquisition notice to owners of private property in the construction area.
The railway over bridge is a long-standing demand of locals. Earlier, they had submitted a memorandum comprising one lakh signatures to the Union Ministry of Surface Transport for its construction. The need for the over bridge was necessitated as traffic was disrupted for several hours at the level crossing on the Puri-Konark-Bhubaneswar golden triangle route.
As many as 51 daily trains apart from weekly ones ply on the tracks owing to which the gates remain close for hours. Jena said electricity poles and three small temples would be removed while some establishments of East Coast Railway (ECoR) will be relocated for the project. The project would be completed within two years at an estimated cost of `20 crore, he informed.