BATHINDA: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday announced a major infrastructure bonanza worth around ₹90 crore for the residents of Bathinda by dedicating the reconstructed Multania Railway Over Bridge (ROB) to the public and approving the construction of a new Railway Over Bridge at Janta Nagar, with both projects aimed at easing the city’s long-standing traffic problems.
Addressing a gathering after dedicating the Multania ROB, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann warmly welcomed the residents who attended the inauguration and said that Bathinda, being an important railway junction in Punjab, has several railway lines passing through it, which divide the city into different parts. He said, “The Multania Bridge, constructed over the Ambala, Delhi, Sirsa and Bikaner railway lines, plays a crucial role in connecting the divided population of Bathinda.”
The Chief Minister said that the earlier bridge was nearly 35 years old and had become unfit for the present traffic needs of the city. “With a narrow carriageway of just 23 feet and insufficient service road width, the old bridge was no longer suitable for the increasing volume of traffic, ” the Chief Minister said, adding that this caused severe inconvenience to school vans, traders, ambulances and heavy vehicles.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that due to its old and dilapidated condition, the bridge would frequently develop potholes during the rainy season because of soil erosion, forcing temporary closures during monsoons. “For a long time, the residents of the city had been demanding the reconstruction of this Railway Over Bridge. Keeping these problems in mind, the state government decided to demolish the approaches of the old bridge and construct a new one on the existing pillars, ” he said.