Local residents, shopkeepers, and Samajwadi Party leaders gathered at the Mohan Road railway overbridge construction site in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday evening to voice their frustration over the project’s prolonged delay. The demonstration highlighted the severe hardships faced by commuters and locals due to ongoing construction woes, specifically citing deep road excavations and persistent waterlogging that have made daily travel hazardous.
- Project Timeline: Originally approved in March 2023, construction on the overbridge officially commenced in August 2023.
- Technical Specifications: The planned structure is a 969.74-meter-long four-lane overbridge with a total project cost of ₹74.54 crore.
- Key Issues: Protesters allege illegal sale of excavated soil, lack of transparency, and the absence of a functional service road.
- Project Status: The work faced a significant three-month halt before resuming in May 2025.
Allegations and Infrastructure Hurdles
During the protest, demonstrators raised serious concerns regarding the management of the construction site. Beyond the physical delays, they accused contractors of illegally selling soil excavated for the foundation, leading to allegations of misappropriation and a total lack of transparency. The absence of a mandatory service road has further crippled local traffic, leaving residents struggling to access their own neighborhoods and businesses.
This project is a collaborative effort involving the State Bridge Corporation (Setu Nigam), the Public Works Department (PWD), and the Indian Railways. Despite the involvement of these major agencies, the project remains far behind schedule, causing significant public outcry.
A Pattern of Delays in Unnao
The situation at Mohan Road is not an isolated incident. The district administration had previously unveiled an ambitious plan for 17 railway overbridges with a total budget of ₹1000 crore, with costs shared equally between the state government and the railway department. However, this vision is currently hampered by systemic bottlenecks.
Other critical infrastructure projects, such as the Saraiya railway overbridge in Shuklaganj, are also suffering from similar stagnation. Local reports indicate that slow progress and pending clearance issues from the railway department are the primary culprits. For the residents of Unnao, these delays represent more than just a logistical inconvenience; they are a breakdown in the delivery of essential regional infrastructure that was intended to streamline movement and boost local connectivity.