The 812-metre long Bank Mor flyover, which connects Dhanbad town with other parts of the district, will be renovated after an inspection by a team of engineers from the state road construction department next month.

“We had sent a proposal to the road construction department headquarters in Ranchi to renovate the flyover earlier this month. Work will resume after the inspection. The flyover, built way back in 1970, will be repaired in phases.” Amrendra Kumar Saha, executive engineer of the department, said, adding that there is no immediate threat to the flyover.

More than 2,000 vehicles pass through the flyover in every 10 minutes.

In March 2015, the flyover was repaired as part of a Rs 11-crore project of National Highways Authority of India to mend a 17km stretch of NH-32 from Kapuria to the district board office in Dhanbad.

A nine-inch thick bituminous layer on the surface of the flyover was scraped off and a thin bituminous layer was laid after filling up the potholes.

Mastic asphalt was used on both ends of the flyover to cope with the problem of frequent damage due to water-logging.

After remaining in good condition for four years, the flyover started to develop potholes and cracks again.

President of Purana Bazar Chamber of Commerce Md Sohrab said: “The condition of some of the pillars, including the one situated near Bhuli Mor, is very bad. A major accident may take place if immediate measures are not taken to repair the flyover, which is used by more than 2 lakh vehicles daily. We also demand the construction of an underpass near Gaya bridge at the end of Bank Mor flyover near

Rangatand and a new bridge to ease the traffic load.”

A Rs 256-crore proposal to construct a 3.5km flyover from Matkuria to Birsa Chowk in Nawadih has already been prepared by Dhanbad Municipal Corporation.

Heavy vehicles coming to Dhanbad from Katras, Pukti and Kendua can be diverted through Matkuria flyover, which will decrease the traffic load on the Bank Mor flyover.