Nagpur: In yet another glaring reminder of poor planning and zero enforcement, the height barrier installed by the Public Works Department (PWD) at the entry ramp of the Shaheed Adivasi Gowari Flyover (Rahate Colony side) met the same disastrous end as the one at the Zero Mile Square side. A speeding cement bulker (MP-04/HE-4022) rammed into the structure on Thursday evening, smashing it out of shape and rendering it useless.
The two barriers, erected barely weeks ago at a combined cost of Rs 13.94 lakh, have now effectively gone down the drain, a classic case of public money being flushed due to lack of supervision, absence of warning systems, and complete disregard for compliance by heavy vehicle drivers.
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12 dec 2025
This is the fourth such incident, exposing a continuing pattern: barriers are installed, vehicles slam into them, taxpayers foot the bill, and authorities offer no long-term solution.
Locals and commuters say the outcome was “predictable from day one.”
There were no reflective warning boards, no blinking lights, no rumble strips, and no dedicated police presence to deter over-height vehicles from entering the stretch. Without these basic traffic management measures, the barriers stood as sitting ducks.
Experts point out that height barriers on busy city flyovers require:
• Illuminated gantries placed well before the ramp,
• Advance signage at least 200-300 meters away,
• Strict policing during peak hours,
• And proactive monitoring of heavy commercial vehicles.
None of these were implemented here.
Citizens question why PWD continues to install flimsy, poorly-planned barriers instead of adopting durable designs used in metros, such as flexible hanging chains, overhead laser height detectors, or pre-warning arches that absorb impact without collapsing.
With four crashes in quick succession, the Shaheed Adivasi Gowari Flyover has become a symbol of repeated engineering failure and administrative neglect. Unless authorities rethink the design and enforce strict pre-entry checks, more barriers, and more public money, will continue to be reduced to rubble.
