Jaipur, Jan 29 (IANS): The Rajasthan High Court has directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to complete the Bhankrota flyover project in Jaipur by April 1, 2025, without any further delays.

A hearing was held on Wednesday regarding the delay in constructing the Bhankrota flyover on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway.

The court further expressed strong discontent over the encroachment on the highway, emphasising that any form of obstruction would not be tolerated.

Additionally, the court has demanded an action plan for traffic diversion, which must be submitted within two weeks.

Earlier, the High Court had voiced dissatisfaction over the prolonged delay in the flyover's construction.

Justices Indrajit Singh and Vinod Kumar Bharwani summoned NHAI officials to clarify the project's completion timeline.

During the proceedings, the court noted that due to the incomplete flyover, traffic congestion in the area persists for hours, and no concrete steps have been taken to manage vehicle diversions.

At Wednesday's hearing, NHAI officials requested a three-month extension to complete the flyover.

However, the court firmly ordered that the flyover must be operational by April 1, 2025.

The court also addressed concerns regarding encroachment on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway, instructing that the highway's width should remain at 48 metres and that service roads must be kept free of obstructions.

Additionally, NHAI has been asked to submit a detailed action plan for handling traffic diversions during the ongoing construction.

The court has sought an affidavit regarding the width and encroachments on the Kamala Nehru Nagar flyover and its service lanes.

NHAI and the Jaipur Development Authority must submit this information by February 17, it said.

Advocates Kamlesh Rose, Dharmendra Chaudhary, and Seema Rose, representing the petitioners, highlighted that NHAI had initiated the construction of 10 flyovers on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway, of which two on the Jaipur side remain unfinished.

The Bhankrota flyover, originally scheduled for completion between July and August, is far from halfway done, leading to severe traffic congestion.

They accused the NHAI of repeatedly extending the construction deadline.

In response, NHAI's legal representative, Advocate Sandeep Pathak, informed the court that the firm responsible for the Bhankrota flyover had a contract to construct six flyovers, of which five have been completed and are operational.

The Bhankrota flyover remains under construction and will be completed soon.