Sambalpur, Dec 30: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has written to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, seeking the construction of a bypass road around Redhakhol town in Sambalpur district to ease chronic traffic congestion and improve road safety.

In his letter, Pradhan highlighted that National Highway-55, which passes through Redhakhol, has become heavily congested, with hundreds of heavy vehicles moving through the town daily. He noted that the town’s narrow internal roads are ill-equipped to handle such high traffic volumes, resulting in frequent traffic snarls and a rising number of accidents.

Pradhan said the situation worsens during office hours as several government offices, hospitals and educational institutions, including Bhimabhoi Degree College, are located within the town limits, leading to intense pedestrian and vehicular movement. The movement of heavy vehicles through residential and institutional areas has posed serious difficulties for students, patients and senior citizens, he added.

The Union minister said he took up the issue after receiving representations from a delegation comprising members of the Redhakhol Bar Association, truck owners’ association, senior citizens’ forum and local journalists, who have been pressing for a bypass for years.

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Emphasising Redhakhol’s rapid urban growth and public safety concerns, Pradhan urged Gadkari to direct the concerned authorities to initiate steps for constructing a new bypass outside the town. He expressed hope that the project would significantly reduce accidents, decongest the town and provide long-term relief to residents.