A brand-new railway overbridge in Bhopal has become the centre of heated online debate – not for its utility, but for an eyebrow-raising 90-degree turn in its design.
Located near Aishbagh Stadium in Madhya Pradesh, images of the bizarre bridge design have gone viral, prompting concerns from social media users about potential safety risks for commuters.
One X (formerly known as Twitter) user, with a username, ‘The Skin Doctor’, shared an image of the bridge, calling it a “modern engineering marvel”, sarcastically.
“This is the Aishbagh rail-over-bridge in Bhopal. PWD civil engineers took 10 years to create this. That 90° turn is a disaster waiting to happen unless there’s proper banking, signage, speed breakers, and lighting,” the post read.
The user also criticised the turn as a traffic choke point and questioned its long-term viability.
What’s the reason behind the design?
Officials linked to the project explained that the bridge’s sharp turn was a result of land constraints and the proximity of a metro rail station. According to the Public Works Department (Bridge Department) Chief Engineer V.D. Verma, "Due to the metro station, there is limited land availability. The design was the only feasible option to connect the two colonies."
Verma further clarified that only small vehicles will be allowed to use the overbridge, with safety protocols including speed limits, lighting, and signage to be maintained as per Indian Road Congress guidelines.
Made with a budget of ₹18 crore, the 648-metre-long and 8.5-metre-wide bridge aims to improve connectivity for Aishbagh residents. It is expected to reduce commute times by removing the need to wait at a level crossing or take longer alternate routes.
X users react with memes and mockery
Social media reactions have ranged from humorous to scathing. Some users suggested the bridge looked like it belonged in a video game, while others slammed it as a “waste of taxpayer money.”
“This is what happens when accountability is a myth,” one user wrote.
“PWD gems like this belong in a museum,” joked another.
One user shared their thoughts on this bridge, saying, “Merit wale engineers hi aisa marvel bana sakte hai.”
Another user wrote, “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.”
“A PWD Gem. This should make it to some Architectural Hall of Fame !!” another wrote.
Congress’ Kerala X handle took a dig at the government and wrote: “Elite design team under the leadership of @AshwiniVaishnaw has built an engineering marvel in Bhopal. A right angle Railway Over Bridge. While ordinary engineers would have gone straight across the hypotenuse (√(3² + 4²) = 5), this team cleverly chose 3 + 4 = 7. Longer route, bigger budget, more chances to siphon off public money. True innovation.”
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