‘Lane closed’: Metro work ‘encroaches’ roads, turns Prabhat Sq into traffic choke point in Bhopal

Bhopal: Prabhat Square, a key junction linking some of the city’s most densely populated areas, has become a major traffic bottleneck during peak hours due to the ongoing Metro construction work.

The square serves commuters travelling between Ashoka Garden, Aishbagh, the BHEL township, Govindpura industrial area and Jehangirabad. It is also a major junction connecting on the road to Bhopal railway station.With a substantial portion of the central carriageway occupied for Metro construction, only narrow lanes have been left open for vehicular movement on the stretches connecting Pul Patra and BHEL, resulting in long traffic snarls.The poor condition of the temporary lanes has further worsened the situation, slowing traffic and causing inconvenience to commuters, particularly during office hours. Traffic officials said they have asked the construction agencies involved to undertake immediate repairs of the damaged stretches to ensure smoother traffic flow until the project is completed.Farhan Khan, a regular commuter, said the left turn from Ashoka Garden towards the BHEL side has narrowed considerably because of barricades erected by the Metro construction agency.

“There is a large pit near the petrol pump at the left turn, while the road shoulder is in a pathetic condition. E-rickshaws and auto-rickshaws remain parked at the turn, further reducing the available space. Traffic coming from Ashoka Garden, Old Subhash Nagar and MP Nagar find difficulty in passing through this stretch and get stuck in the middle of the intersection. During peak hours, commuters often have to wait through two to three signal cycles to cross towards BHEL,” he said.Another commuter, Rajesh Bharti, said one lane of the road leading from Prabhat Square towards Patra Pul and Old Subhash Nagar has been barricaded / closed due to construction.“As vehicles moving in both directions are forced to share a single narrow lane, traffic congestion has become routine. The onset of the monsoon has worsened the condition,” he said.Ramesh Khatri said the pace of Metro construction was slow and residents were likely to face traffic problems for a long time.Rizwan Pathan alleged that instead of regulating traffic during rush hours, police often conduct vehicle checking near the busy intersection. “The entire stretch from Prabhat Square to Ratnagiri is witnessing traffic chaos because of construction work,” he said.Additional DCP (Traffic) Basant Kaul acknowledged the problem and said commuters were facing difficulties because of the ongoing Metro work.“The 30-metre stretch between Prabhat Square and the BHEL road is in poor condition. Traffic police have asked the construction agencies concerned to repair the connecting roads at the earliest to ensure smoother traffic movement,” he said.