Ranchi: Relief may finally be in sight for thousands of commuters navigating the crater-riddled Karamtoli Chowk–Ring Road corridor, with the road construction department floating a tender for complete surface renewal of the busy stretch via Chiraundi and Boriyo.The tender covers the 8.2-km road from Karamtoli Chowk to Maharaja Madra Munda Chowk on Ring Road. Sanctioned at Rs 4.76 crore, the project is to be completed within three months.The arterial road has long been a nightmare for motorists, with deep potholes, broken surfaces and uneven patches triggering frequent accidents and damaging vehicles. The situation worsens during monsoon, when rainwater fills the craters and makes it difficult for commuters, particularly two-wheeler riders, to judge their depth.“The huge craters are filled with water, making it difficult to differentiate between a plain surface and a pothole while riding a two-wheeler. I have met with accidents twice on the road,” resident Pragya Singh said.Residents said the absence of street lights on parts of the corridor compounds the danger after dark.“Returning from office at night, particularly on the stretch between Divyayan and Science City, is extremely difficult because there are no street lights. It is almost impossible to spot potholes and broken patches from a distance,” resident Manish Raj said. “Besides the risk of accidents, driving on the damaged road also takes a toll on our vehicles.”Questions have also been raised over construction quality and poorly coordinated utility work. Baidnath Kumar, another resident, said the road had deteriorated rapidly despite being constructed only a year ago.“The stretch needs urgent repairs as several minor accidents take place every day,” Kumar said. He added that excavation for laying a water pipeline connected to a tank on Chiraundi hill had left one side of the road nearly a foot higher than the other, creating an additional hazard.The corridor is also a crucial link for farmers and daily wage workers travelling from peripheral villages to the state capital to sell agricultural produce or look for employment.Pradeep Saw, a farmer who regularly uses the route, said passengers travel in constant fear of accidents. “We take autorickshaws from our village to the city through this road. Every day, we fear the vehicle may fall into a ditch. We have seen several autos overturn, leaving passengers injured,” he said.
