Patna Metro's Ashok Rajpath alignment shifted to institutional area due to flyover project

A key section of Patna Metro's underground alignment passing through the dense Ashok Rajpath area has been "shifted away" from the main road to the institutional area due to a double-decker flyover being built on the historic street by the Bihar government, according to official sources.

Patna:A key section of Patna Metro's underground alignment passing through the dense Ashok Rajpath area has been "shifted away" from the main road to the institutional area due to a double-decker flyover being built on the historic street by the Bihar government, according to official sources. The alignment of the flyover, spanning a little over 2 km, which will come up from Kargil Chowk to NIT More on Ashok Rajpath, was "completely infringing" with the old alignment of the metro line segment, thus prompting the change in plan, they said.

"And, it was the major reason for going for a change in alignment for the underground section," an official source said. Patna Metro is currently under construction in the old city, a flagship project whose foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 17, 2019. The 31 km-long Patna Metro rail project, comprising the Danapur-Mithapur-Khemnichak corridor (Line-1) and Patna Railway Station-Pataliputra Bus Terminal corridor (Line-2), is expected to benefit over a million passengers from the Bihar capital and will also reduce the number of vehicles and ease congestion. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is executing the Patna Metro project.

The stretch of Ashok Rajpath from Gandhi Maidan to NIT campus is dotted with several old and heritage buildings on both sides of Ashok Rajpath, largely of various institutions such as Patna University, Patna College, Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), Patna Science College, Wheeler Senate House, St Joseph's Convent High School, B N College, Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library on the northern side, and old shops and markets, private houses and some religious structures on the southern side of the street.

"Due to the proposal of the double-decker flyover on Ashok Rajpath, the alignment of Patna Metro has been shifted away from Ashok Rajpath road, and it is going along the northern side of Ashok Rajpath, and below the institutional buildings," the official source told PTI. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had laid the foundation stone of the ambitious Rs 422-crore flyover project exactly a year ago on September 4, and it has been envisioned to help commuters navigate with ease through one of the most crowded localities of the state capital.

Both the Patna Metro and double-decker flyover projects are currently underway in full swing in the capital city. While digging work is being done and piers are being laid on the main road for the flyover, in the vicinity metro staffers are doing civil work in Science College campus, and near the main gates of PMCH (where a major infrastructure revamp is underway since the second half of 2021) and the new building of Anjuman Islamia Hall on Ashok Rajpath, where a large number of contiguous barricades bearing 'Patna Metro' have been put up in streets.

Ashok Rajpath segment of Patna Metro falls on 14.45 km-long Line-2, which is a "priority corridor" and some of the proposed stations on its underground segment are namely -- Akashwani, Gandhi Maidan, PMCH, University and Moin ul Haq Stadium. Gandhi Maidan station is proposed to be built near the periphery of the historic ground, and the PMCH station, near its main gate that has been closed since July 22 to undertake metro construction work, while University station will come up near the Science College.

The double-decker flyover will rise from Kargil Chowk near Gandhi Maidan and fall near the Science College campus. Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited (BRPNNL) is executing the project. "Digging work (for flyover) shall affect the work of the metro station. However, necessary liaison work is being carried out between Metro and BRPNNL authorities to resolve the issues," the sources said. Asked if the flyover project was the main reason for changing alignment, the source said, "Yes. The double-decker flyover was completely infringing with the old alignment of the metro".

However, the move to have multiple urban infrastructure projects in a historic core of the city has upset many academicians and heritage conservationists. A former vice-chancellor of the Patna University, on the condition of anonymity said, "PU and its colleges are historic institutions. The sanctity of their campuses should have been kept in mind while formulating the urban planning. In the name of development, should we reduce the glory of these institutions by shrinking their campuses", and expressed fear that underground metro train movements "might weaken these old structures in future".

Asked about the major engineering challenges faced since both a double-decker flyover and a metro being built simultaneously on the same stretch of Ashok Rajpath, the sources said the main challenge is to integrate the two other major infrastructure projects -- PMCH redevelopment and the double-decker flyover construction on Ashok Rajpath road -- with the Patna Metro construction work so that minimum inconvenience is caused to the public at large.

"A detailed traffic survey has already been carried out by DMRC and an integrated traffic diversion proposal has been prepared and submitted to the Bihar Traffic Police. Further in metro underground construction, a TBM (tunnel boring machine) plays a vital role in construction activity. Detailed coordination with BRPNNL and the state health department is required, to plan the sequence of launching as well as retrieval of TBM," another source said. (PTI)