The construction of the Habibganj Railway under-bridge has paused midway. The bridge was initially scheduled to be completed by May, but now it is far from complete. The work for the bridge began before the second lockdown. In association with Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Bhopal Railway division is constructing the under-bridge. The BMC should pay Rs 4.5 crore for the construction of the under-bridge. BMC has already paid Rs 2.5 crore, and it will issue the remaining amount soon. The officials of the Bhopal Railway Division told the media that the existing Habibganj under-bridge was not an underpass. An official informed that it was supposed to be a facility for water drainage, but people gradually began utilising it as a road to connect Arera Colony with Hoshangabad road. Since the road between two pillars was not meant for traffic, it was very narrow, and the limited space affected the traffic during the monsoon season. Only one vehicle could move from there because of this, and numerous accidents have been reported in the past. The construction of an underbridge was a long-awaited demand for smooth traffic. During the monsoon season, it was planned to keep the underbridge closed and use it for traffic throughout other seasons after strengthening. The under-bridge is being built near the existing bridge adjoining the Fracture Hospital Road. To avoid disruptions in the train movement, the railway is using the box push technology. The box push technology is largely useful compared to other conventional methods when the work has to be done without interruption to rail traffic. In the new under-bridge, two separate passages will be constructed. Each passage is 3 m tall and 6 m wide. Modern technologies were supposed to be used for the construction of the under-bridge. The railway is also going to install a sensor-based water pumping system. Sushil Kumar, Senior divisional engineer, told the media that construction came to a halt because of the rains. He said that the rain has arrived early this year and that it is not possible to work during rains as it is a matter of safety. He said they would begin the work after the rains and complete it by the end of this year. Image Source Also read: Bengaluru’s Byappanahalli railway terminal to be opened by September