Gate Bazaar flyover faces safety test
Brahmapur: An expert nine-member technical team, led by Superintending Engineer Pinaki Prasad Swain of Brahmapur Quality Control Division, on Monday began a detailed inspection of the under-construction Gate Bazaar flyover following allegations of substandard construction work and use of inferior-quality materials.
The team, comprising the Superintending Engineer, SDO, JE and other technical personnel, inspected various components of the flyover and began collecting samples of construction materials, including cement and steel. The team is also inspecting the dimensions and specifications of different structural components to ascertain whether the work conforms to prescribed technical standards.
The inspection follows a letter written by Brahmapur MP Pradip Panigrahi to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on July 25, seeking an expert-level investigation into the alleged use of low-quality construction materials and the delay in completion of the flyover.
Panigrahi had alleged that inferior-quality cement, steel and other materials were being used in the project and that managerial difficulties were contributing to delays. The prolonged construction work has also been causing considerable traffic congestion in Gate Bazaar and affecting the business activities of local traders.
Speaking during the inspection, SE Pinaki Prasad Swain said the technical investigation would take a few days. “We are collecting samples from every pillar and slab and inspecting the dimensions of the various components used in the flyover. The samples will be tested and evaluated as per prescribed procedures. The findings will be compiled and a report will be submitted to the State government,” he said.
The technical scrutiny has now put the quality and progress of the much-awaited project under close examination, with all eyes on the findings of the expert committee.
The 1,136-metre-long flyover, connecting Niladri Vihar on Aska Road with the City Hospital Old Gate, is intended to ease traffic congestion in one of Brahmapur’s busiest stretches. The project was formally inaugurated on August 29, 2025, while actual construction commenced on January 15, 2025.