The much-criticised 90-degree Railway Overbridge (ROB) in Bhopal’s Aishbagh area is set for a redesign and eventual public opening, ending a 10-month-long standoff between the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Railways.
Work on the modifications is expected to begin within four to five days, once final technical details are received from the Railways. The same contractor responsible for constructing the original structure has been assigned the redesign work.
The impasse was resolved during a high-level meeting, where both sides agreed to address what had widely been labelled a “death trap in concrete.” The controversy centred on an extremely sharp, nearly 90-degree turn that rendered the bridge unsafe for use.
Vehicles attempting the bend faced
a high risk of skidding or overturning, sparking concerns of serious accidents even before its inauguration.
Officials have now assured that the flaw will be rectified. As per the revised design, the curve’s radius will be increased from 2 metres to around 2.5 metres, while the bridge width will be expanded from 8.5 metres to between 10.5 and 11 metres. This, authorities say, will enable safer movement of cars as well as medium and heavy vehicles.
Constructed at a cost of nearly Rs 18 crore, the overbridge was completed in June 2025 but never opened to traffic. Days before its planned inauguration, visuals highlighting the unusual turn went viral, triggering widespread criticism.
The issue quickly gained traction, drawing memes, public outrage, and even international attention, turning the structure into a case study of flawed infrastructure planning.
Following the backlash, seven PWD engineers were suspended, and multiple expert bodies, including Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), were brought in to evaluate the design and recommend corrections.
Investigations later pointed to constraints posed by a nearby Metro line, which limited the scope for widening the curve. This led to prolonged technical disagreements between the Railways and the PWD, delaying a resolution.
Now, after months of delays, scrutiny, and bureaucratic wrangling, authorities say a solution has finally been reached. However, for residents, a larger concern persists, how a publicly funded project of this scale was cleared despite such an obvious design flaw.
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