Rs 36.64-Crore Ujjain Simhastha 2028 Project Faces Alignment Issue, Bridge Veers Away From Connecting Road
Rahul Singh Rathore reports on alignment mismatch between a road and bridge planned for Simhastha 2028, which may force authorities to alter the route.
Published : August 25, 2026 at 2:37 PM IST
Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) : An alignment problem in a road-and-bridge project being developed to carry vehicles from the Indore side directly to the Simhastha 2028 fairgrounds in Ujjain has affected construction work, already in an advanced stage, as the road and bridge do not appear to meet as planned.
Several infrastructure projects are underway across Ujjain ahead of Simhastha 2028, with Divisional Commissioner Ashish Singh monitoring the work. The latest issue involves a bypass road being constructed between the Indore-Ujjain road and the Simhastha area.
The Rs 23.26-crore road begins near a private shopping mall and runs towards Mahavir Bagh Road and MR-21. A bridge across the Shipra River, being built at a cost of Rs 13.38 crore, forms part of the same proposed traffic corridor.
However, now the bridge is seen descending towards agricultural fields instead of meeting the road. After the apparent mismatch was noticed, the Bridge Department began considering a change in the road’s direction. This could require the acquisition of additional farmland.
The Ujjain Municipal Corporation is responsible for constructing the road, while the Bridge Department is building the bridge. Earthwork for the road has been carried out and the bridge pillars have already been erected.
As construction progressed, an estimated difference of around 30 degrees emerged between the alignments of the two structures. The bridge was originally expected to connect directly with the road linking Sikandari and Dabrikhedi villages.
The discrepancy has raised questions over whether the two agencies conducted a joint survey and verified the alignment before beginning construction, since the road and bridge are components of the same traffic route.
The bypass is being developed to allow vehicles arriving from Badnawar, Garoth, Dewas and the Indore side to reach the Simhastha grounds without entering central Ujjain. It is also intended to prevent the city from facing excessive traffic pressure during the religious gathering.
Following the alignment issue, officials are reportedly considering curving the road towards the bridge. Such a change would require additional private land and could affect farmers and plot owners in the area.
With several high-value projects being executed for Simhastha, it is important that technical accuracy is given utmost importance so that projects can be completed on time. The issue has raised questions about the coordination between the agencies involved. An early joint assessment of the alignment could potentially have prevented the need to alter the road and acquire more land.
When ETV Bharat contacted the Bridge Department Executive Engineer PS Pant, he said he was “not in a position to speak at present” and ended the call. A subsequent call went unanswered.
RK Jain, a member of the Ujjain Municipal Corporation’s Mayor-in-Council associated with the road project, said he would respond later. Despite efforts to further contact him yielded no result.
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