Guwahati: Barely months after it was hailed as a landmark addition to Guwahati’s road infrastructure, the Maharaj Prithu Flyover has once again come under intense public and technical scrutiny. A fatal late-night accident on Monday has revived long-standing concerns over road safety, structural functionality, and the overall traffic management of the Rs 850-crore project.
Parimal Medhi, a resident of Noonmati, was killed on Monday night following a collision between a motorcycle and a scooter on the flyover amid wet and slippery road conditions. While a formal police investigation is yet to establish the exact cause of the crash, the fatality has lent fresh urgency to questions that have persisted since the structure was opened to traffic earlier this year.
Residents, commuters, and traffic personnel have repeatedly flagged vulnerabilities along the corridor, specifically highlighting the hazardous condition of the carriageway during rainfall, the design of the central rotary, a heavy dependence on manual traffic regulation, and a lack of basic amenities for personnel deployed at the junction.
Questions over road safety
The accident has triggered sharp reactions from local residents, who allege that the flyover’s tarmac becomes exceptionally slippery during rain. Commuters claim that several motorists had previously lost control of their vehicles on the exact same stretch. Neighbours of the deceased argued that Monday’s crash was part of a recurring pattern rather than an isolated incident, demanding an immediate technical assessment of the pavement’s condition and safety features.
The issue was brought into sharp focus recently when the vehicle of senior Gauhati High Court advocate Santanu Borthakur was rear-ended on the flyover. The trailing vehicle had reportedly skidded on the slick tarmac, failing to stop in time.
A flagship project facing operational challenges
Inaugurated on March 10 by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the 4.2-km Maharaj Prithu Flyover was projected as a transformative engineering marvel aimed at easing chronic gridlock between Dighalipukhuri, Chandmari, Commerce Point, and Noonmati.
Constructed by Gautam Constructions and Anupam Constructions, firms headed by Ashok Singhvi and Anupam Sharma, respectively, who are reportedly close associates of the Chief Minister—the project was completed in 28 months, well ahead of its three-year timeline.
Critics and locals allege that the rush to complete the project ahead of schedule to showcase the government’s development narrative may have compromised construction quality. The hurried construction and inauguration of the flyover were reportedly driven by a desire to project the development narrative of the Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma-led administration, which consistently prioritises big-infrastructure projects, often at the direct expense of the city’s green cover.
Furthermore, many argue that instead of eliminating congestion, the flyover has merely shifted the bottleneck to the central rotary at Chandmari.
Rotary under the scanner
The Chandmari rotary has emerged as the most contentious element of the design. A retired Public Works Department (PWD) engineer, who monitored the project’s execution, noted that given the scale of the financial investment, the city should have received a junction capable of handling traffic with minimal intervention. Instead, the rotary continues to rely on constant manual regulation, suggesting that the available spatial planning failed to efficiently accommodate the city’s traffic volume.
Regular commuters echo this sentiment, stating that confusion, long queues, and congestion remain routine features at the intersection despite the completion of the flyover.
Traffic personnel bear the burden
Those responsible for managing the traffic at the rotary describe a system heavily reliant on manpower. Traffic officials deployed at the junction state that five to eight personnel are routinely required during peak hours to regulate vehicular movement. According to an officer posted at the spot, the need for continuous manual intervention points directly to shortcomings in the junction’s planning.
The challenges extend beyond traffic flow. Personnel spend long hours exposed to extreme weather with minimal supporting infrastructure. The complete absence of shelters, seating arrangements, and nearby toilet facilities makes prolonged shifts during Guwahati’s intense heat and monsoon seasons exceptionally demanding.
PWD defends execution
The Public Works Department, however, maintains that the flyover was executed in strict accordance with the approved Detailed Project Report (DPR).
Officials argue that the rapid growth in Guwahati’s vehicular population has placed unprecedented pressure on the city’s road network, making it unrealistic to expect any single infrastructure project to eliminate congestion entirely.
They contend that despite the operational challenges at the rotary, the flyover has substantially improved overall connectivity between Dighalipukhuri and Noonmati.
Fresh scrutiny after another fatality
Monday night’s accident has once again shifted public attention from the flyover’s engineering scale to questions over how effectively it functions in everyday conditions.
For residents and commuters, the issue is no longer confined to traffic delays. They say the latest death underscores the need for an independent review of the flyover’s road surface, drainage, traffic management and overall safety infrastructure.