The movement of vehicles on Phase-1 Industrial Area from Railway Light Point will be barred for the next one month, as authorities scramble to repair the CTU workshop underbridge in Phase 1 that had completely caved-in during the three-four days of rainfall that battered Chandigarh earlier this week. As per details, the authorities are going to completely reconstruct the foundation of the underbridge as well as relay all the pipelines running underneath afresh in the next one month. The CTU workshop underbridge was among four locations which suffered heavy damage due to the incessant rains in Chandigarh. The other three spots which were damaged were the Kishangarh Bridge, Shastri Nagar/Babu Dham Bridge, and Mauli Jagran-Hallomajra underpass. All of the above structures are being inspected by the UT's engineering wing. The Mauli Jagran-Hallomajra underpass on Panchkula-Hallomajra link road, which had been waterlogged for the last three days following incessant rain, was opened from both sides on Thursday after the stagnant water was drained out. Though the UT engineering wing told the traffic police to allow commuters to use the Shastri Nagar/Bapu Dham bridge, sources said it will take at least 24 more hours before traffic is allowed on the bridge. Sources said motorists continue to be barred from using the bridge because the UT civic body employees are using to ferry huge pipelines. The repair work of the Kishangarh village bridge, on the other hand, will take one week. Chandigarh Chief Engineer, CB Ojha, said, "Mauli Jagran-Hallomajra underpass has been reopened. The Shastri Nagar bridge is also fit for motorists from our side. We have asked the traffic police to open the bridge whenever they think it is ready for use. The Kishangarh bridge will take one week to be ready." Chandigarh municipality commissioner, Anindita Mitra, said, "The CTU workshop underpass bridge has been completely damaged. We surveyed it. It will be reconstructed and the work will take one month at least. The road is at present blocked from both the sides." The Mauli Jagran-Hallomajra underpass on the link road leading to Dakshin Marg is a lifeline for Panchkula residents, who are headed to Chandigarh. Before the road was reopened, residents were forced to take Madhya Marg to enter Chandigarh from Housing Board light point. "The Public Works Department of the UT Engineering Department drained the water and cleared mud, silt and garbage from below the underpass at the Mauli Jagran-Hallomajra underpass. Initially, it was opened from one side, and later it was thrown open from both the sides. The reopening of the bridge helped reduce the traffic pressure on Madhya Marg", a traffic police officer said.
