Nagpur, India: The demolition of the Panchpaoli Railway Overbridge (RoB) began on Tuesday, but work was halted temporarily later in the day due to heavy traffic congestion.

The demolition started at the Kamal Talkies end, where a JCB was deployed to dismantle part of the approach road as a precautionary measure to warn the public about the ongoing work. However, as traffic surged towards the evening, the contractor decided to pause the work to avoid further disruption.

The bridge is being demolished to facilitate the construction of a new, larger overbridge that will connect Panchpaoli to the city's biggest flyover, stretching nearly 9 km to Dighori. The new RoB will be twice the width of the existing two-lane structure, helping alleviate congestion and improve traffic flow across the railway tracks.

M/s Matte & Associates, a renowned company in engineering demolition, is handling the project. Due to the presence of railway lines below the bridge, the demolition is expected to take a considerable amount of time. The narrow width of the road, especially on the Golibar Square side, and the proximity of residential buildings, particularly in areas like Teka, will add complexity to the process.

Devendra Matte, Director of M/s Matte & Associates, explained that large machinery would be brought in by Wednesday, and work would accelerate at that point. The team will carefully dismantle the concrete and iron slabs, particularly around the railway lines. Railway engineers will oversee this process to ensure safety.

Currently, the demolition work involves bringing down the approach and part of the viaduct. However, the removal of electric poles for street lighting has slowed the pace. Despite these hurdles, officials are optimistic that the project will move forward swiftly once all equipment is in place.

With the Panchpaoli RoB closed, traffic below has become chaotic due to the narrow road, creating additional challenges for commuters.