Deekshith D V
Pics: Ramesh Pandith
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV)
Mangaluru, Apr 15: The work on the much-awaited railway underbridge (RUB) at Padil-Bajal is going on at a brisk pace and is likely to be completed by this month end.
Former union minister for railways Sadananda Gowda, who is now the law minister, had promised to complete the work by February 2015 while laying the foundation in August last year. However, the work was hindered due to various technical reasons.
The railway department now plans to finish the work in the next few weeks and have it ready by month end or latest by May first week.
Speaking to daijiworld, the civil engineer Raju Nadar on the site said, "More than 40 technical experts and labourers are working day and night to complete the work. If necessary, we will deploy more labourers for the work in order to finish it without further delay."
He also said that the underbridge is being constructed by box pushing technique. The constructed RUB will be 30 m in length, 7.15 m in height and 12.6 m in width. There will be footpaths and drainage systems on either sides of the underbridge road.
Speaking to daijiworld over the phone, DRM of Palakkad division Anand Prakash said, "We are planning to complete the work by the end of April. There is still 20 m push pending. The railway department will finish all its work related to the RUB by this month end."
While the railway department completes the RUB work, it is the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) that has to finish the work on approach roads.
Speaking to the daijiworld, MCC corporator Vijaykumar Shetty said, "Immediately after the railway department completes the work on construction of the RUB, the MCC will start concreting the approach roads. The department was supposed to complete the work in February but due to technical problems, the work got delayed."
The project has been taken up on cost sharing of 50:50 between the state and union government. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 5.68 crore, out of which MCC has provided Rs 51 lac.
Let's hope the work indeed completes by this month end, so that a long-cherished dream of the locals is materialized without further delay.