The widening of the National Highway-33 linking Jamshedpur with capital Ranchi has been severely hit by the lockdown for the Covid-19 pandemic and the work to turn the stretch into a four-lane one is unlikely to meet the 2020-end deadline.

As per the Union home ministry directive infrastructure work in rural areas — NH-33 passes mostly through rural areas of East Singhbhum, Seraikela-Kharsawan and Ranchi districts — work officially began on Monday but the accompanying severe restrictions have put a question mark on work commencing full steam.

“Work has started from today after necessary approval from respective district authorities at all the four phases. However, there are several logistical issues like bringing of labourers, equipment and transport of raw materials etc, which might delay the speed of execution of the work to a great extent,” said Vijay Srivastava, regional officer, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). “In the beginning of the year we were confident with the pace of construction by the four private contractors that the work would definitely be completed by 2020 November-December. However, I cannot comment on the deadline now.”

The widening work on the 160km stretch of NH-33 is being done by four separate agencies since May-June 2019.

“More than 60 per cent of the widening work had been completed by February-end and we were confident of meeting the November 2020 deadline irrespective of the monsoon period as bituminous and trench work would have been completed by then, which would have led to smooth traffic on the stretch,” said a senior NHAI project official. “Though there were some delays in the construction of underpasses between Saherbera and Pardih in Jamshedpur and elevated road in Dimna due to land acquisition hurdles. However, the lockdown has thrown a spanner in the works. It will take almost a month for work to begin in full steam even though we have got conditional approval from the deputy commissioners of the three districts.”

Work on widening the NH-33, the lifeline of Ranchi and Jamshedpur, had come to a halt since the middle of 2018 with private concessionaire Madhucon Projects citing financial issues. Hyderabad-based Madhucon Projects had bagged the Rs 1,479-crore contract and started work in January 2013. It was meant to complete the project by June 2016, but failed to do so.