Growing traffic in Ahmedabad and subsequent traffic snarls have made express construction of flyovers in the city an urgent need.But the recent proposal of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to build a flyover at Panjrapol junction in Ambawadi has come under fire for ignoring the recommendations of the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI).
The CRRI conducted a study in 2011 of 34 junctions in the city and suggested a flyover on 120-Foot Road, leading from the Gulbai Tekra police chowki to Nehru Circle. However, the AMC plans to build the flyover on the road perpendicular to it, from Polytechnic to IIM.
A section of AMC officials are concerned, as they say the proposed flyover won’t resolve the traffic problems at the junction. They say the flyover ought to be built on the alignment suggested by the CRRI report, as it would be on the more congested road. The AMC defended its decision, saying the proposed flyover will decongest traffic on IIM road.
However, experts say this will only shift the traffic problem to another road. They also point out that the proposed flyover will be too close to the existing IIM flyover and will create a “roller coaster-like” situation.
A team of city planners and experts recently wrote to the municipal commissioner, flagging issues about the new proposed alignment. The letter said, “CRRI had recommended a two-lane split flyover on 120-Foot Road. The CSIR report suggested this alignment after a detailed traffic flow study. It said that heavy traffic flow is observed from Panjrapol Crossroads to Vijay Crossroads to Nehrunagar Circle. A seven-metre service road will be available on both sides of the road if this split flyover is built.
“The road (Vikram Sarabhai Marg) from Polytechnic College to IIM is 28m to 30m wide. The IIM flyover at Andhjanmandal Junction on this road is 13.5m wide. According to the IRC code, the IIM flyover is not even a two-lane flyover.”
“Two vehicles cannot simultaneously use the service roads on both sides of the IIM flyover, as they are narrower than 6m,” the letter says, adding the inclines of the flyover will end in front of the gates of Polytechnic and Atira on either end. There will only be a 300m gap between the proposed flyover and the existing IIM flyover, which is not enough. Traffic jams will get worse, they say.
An AMC official said, “The consultant has been given the job of preparing estimates for the flyover at Panjrapol junction right now. They have decided to build a flyover on the road from Polytechnic to IIM after talking to senior officials.”
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