Ranchi: Potholes, broken patches and uneven road surfaces on key routes leading to Durga Puja pandals are raising concerns among commuters. Several stretches are expected to witness heavy traffic and increased pedestrian movement during the festival.At Siramtoli Chowk, beneath the flyover connecting to Kantatoli, the damaged road has become a major concern ahead of puja. Accidents were reported on the stretch on Monday. The route is also expected to see heavy movement as visitors head towards the major pandal near Ranchi railway station.“The road is difficult to negotiate even when traffic is normal. During puja, vehicles barely get space to move towards the railway station pandal. The damaged surface will only worsen the situation,” said Dipika, a commuter.Another problematic stretch lies below the Ratu Road flyover, along the route to the pandals at OTC Ground and Pandra. Several damaged portions have forced motorists to slow down or manoeuvre around uneven patches.“We have to keep looking down while riding here because of the broken road. During puja, many people will walk towards the Pandra pandals, leaving little room for sudden movement,” said Samar Kumar, a resident.Uneven stretches in Kokar, Lalpur, Hinoo, Doranda, Morabadi, Argora and Harmu could also slow traffic during peak hours. Residents said potholes, parked vehicles and pedestrians spilling onto carriageways may make movement difficult.Road construction department secretary Sunil Kumar said reports of damaged roads, particularly near the Siramtoli flyover, were being taken up on priority. He assured that the identified stretches would be repaired before the festival.
