Bhopal's '90-degree turn' bridge to be redesigned after public outrage

Bhopal's ₹18-crore Aishbagh rail overbridge is set to be redesigned following a viral backlash over its sharp 90-degree turn. The Railways has approved land clearance for a 3-foot curve expansion

Images of the newly built Aishbagh rail overbridge — showing an abrupt 90-degree, L-shaped turn — circulated widely on social media last week, with users calling the layout “ridiculous” and “inherently dangerous”. 

Amid mounting public pressure, the Indian Railways has agreed to transfer additional land so the Public Works Department (PWD) can soften the corner. Department engineers carried out fresh measurements on Wednesday to map a gentler arc that will add roughly 3 ft of carriageway, easing vehicle movement and reducing the risk of collisions.   

 

Officials cite tight corridor, defend original plan

Project engineers had earlier maintained that space constraints dictated the right-angle layout. “Due to the metro station, there is limited availability of land at the point. Due to the lack of land, there was no other option. The purpose of the RoB [rail overbridge] is to connect the two colonies,” said Chief Engineer (Bridges) VD Verma speaking to news agency PTI. 

PWD Minister Rakesh Singh echoed that view: “After a bridge is built, experts suddenly appear and say such things. A lot of technical aspects are taken into consideration while building any bridge. If this is an allegation, it will be investigated.”

 

Costs, delays and the road ahead

The 648-m-long, 8.5-m-wide structure was sanctioned at ₹18 crore, but construction, which began in March 2023 with an 18-month deadline, has already stretched beyond 36 months owing to shifting utility lines and coordination hurdles between PWD and Railways.  

With the land issue now resolved, officials say dismantling of the existing railing and re-profiling of the curve will start once formal paperwork is complete, NDTV reported. The redesign is expected to improve traffic flow in the congested Aishbagh area and finally deliver the time savings the project promised commuters.

 

Internet reacts with memes

Reactions on social media have been a mix of sarcasm and sharp criticism. Some users likened the newly-constructed bridge to something straight out of a video game, while others condemned it as a blatant “waste of taxpayer money”. 

“This is what happens when accountability is a myth,” commented one user, voicing frustration over the project. Another took a lighter jab, writing, “PWD gems like this belong in a museum.” 

Weighing in on the structure, one user remarked, “Merit wale engineers hi aisa marvel bana sakte hai.” A different take came from another post that read, “Pura 90 degree to nehi hai magar ye engineering ka ek nayab marvel hai jarur, hat’s off to all those involved in this great project, company ka maal dariya mein daal jaisa ho gaya.” 

“This should make it to some Architectural Hall of Fame!!” quipped another, calling it a “PWD Gem”.