A newly constructed railway overbridge near Aishbagh Stadium in Madhya Pradesh's capital has triggered public outrage and widespread mockery online due to its unusual 90-degree turn — a design choice that many believe poses a major safety risk.

The bridge, which is nearly complete and built at a cost of ₹18 crore, is 648 metres long and 8.5 metres wide. It was designed to ease traffic congestion and provide smoother connectivity between Mahamai Ka Bagh, Pushpa Nagar, the railway station area, and New Bhopal. Government estimates suggest the bridge will benefit around three lakh commuters daily once it opens.

Construction of the overbridge began in March 2023 and was initially scheduled for completion in 18 months. However, a series of delays — including issues related to electrical lines and coordination challenges between the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Railways — pushed the timeline to over 36 months.

Controversial turn draws flak

The sharp 90-degree bend in the bridge has sparked a flurry of criticism from residents, engineers, and political leaders alike. Locals have raised alarm over the potential danger, especially in the absence of measures like signage, speed control systems, and adequate lighting.

“This is the Aishbagh rail-over-bridge in Bhopal. PWD civil engineers took 10 years to create this modern engineering marvel. Apart from being a traffic choke point, that 90° turn is a disaster waiting to happen unless there’s proper banking, signage, speed breakers, and lighting. All the best to those who’ll have to use it and the Hoover medal for the engineering team responsible for this,” read a widely shared Facebook post accompanied by an image of the bridge.

Another user took to X to quip: “Temple Run: Bhopal Version.”

“The Over-Bridge in Madhya Pradesh with a 90° turn was inspired by Temple Run,” another post read.

Official response and justification

Responding to the backlash, Madhya Pradesh PWD Minister Rakesh Singh told The Indian Express that the matter would be reviewed. “Whenever a bridge is made, a lot of technical considerations are taken into account. So, if there are such allegations, we will look into them,” he said.

PWD Chief Engineer (Bridge Department) V D Verma defended the design, citing spatial constraints near the metro station as the primary reason for the tight turn. “Due to the metro station, there is limited availability of land at the point. Due to the lack of land, there was no other option. The purpose of the RoB is to connect the two colonies,” Verma told PTI.

He further clarified that only light vehicles will be permitted on the overbridge, while heavy vehicles will be restricted. “It will be operated with full safety and the speed of vehicles as per the instructions of the Indian Road Congress,” he added.

The state’s opposition party, Congress, also criticised the design, warning of potential dangers. “The government should get up before it becomes a death ground,” said Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari while speaking to ANI. He questioned how such a design was approved by the department and accused the BJP government of negligence. “How did the department (PWD) accept this kind of design? There is a BJP government in the state, and their real thinking and mind can be understood. Still, the government should wake up and punish the people who created such a design with the public's hard-earned money,” he said.