RTI for flyover or bridge status — citizen guide 2026

Stuck flyover near you for years? File an RTI to the Public Works Department (PWD), the Municipal Corporation, or the relevant urban-development authority. The PIO must reply in 30 days under §7(1) of the RTI Act, 2005, with the work order, contractor name, sanctioned cost, completion timeline and the reason for delay. Sample letter, fee schedule, and Section 19 escalation below.

1. Right authority: Public Works Department (state) for state highways; Municipal Corporation / Urban Development Authority for city flyovers; National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for national highways.
2. Fee: ₹10 (BPL: zero) — central authorities; state authorities follow the state RTI Rules.
3. Reply window: 30 days under §7(1) of the RTI Act, 2005.
4. Escalation: §19(1) First Appeal in 30 days; §19(3) Second Appeal to CIC / SIC.
5. Sample letter: see below — copy, adapt, post by Speed Post (AD).

• Construction abandoned mid-way for years
• Contractor changed without explanation
• Cost overruns — original ₹50 crore, current ₹150 crore
• Land-acquisition disputes blocking work
• Quality complaints (cracked pillars, leakage)
• Traffic diversions causing daily 2-hour jams

The standard government response is “*it is under review by the technical committee*”. An RTI breaks this — you get the file noting, the last decision date, and the officer holding the file.

To,
The Public Information Officer,
[State PWD / Municipal Corp / NHAI Regional Office],
[Full address]

Subject: Application under the RTI Act, 2005 — records concerning the construction
status of [Flyover name / location]

Date: [DD Month YYYY]

Respected Sir / Madam,

1. I, [Your full name], a citizen of India residing at [your address], am filing this
   application under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, seeking
   the following records concerning the [name of flyover, location, originally
   sanctioned date]:

   (a) Certified copy of the administrative + technical sanction notes for the
       said work, with sanctioned cost.

   (b) Certified copy of the work order issued to the contractor, naming the
       contractor, contract value, original timeline, and any subsequent
       modifications.

   (c) Status of physical and financial progress as on date of reply, with
       percentage completion of each component.

   (d) Reasons for delay (if any), and the file noting recording the delay /
       cost overrun / contractor change.

   (e) The third-party inspection / quality-audit reports for the work, with
       remarks (if any).

   (f) Name, designation and contact of the officer currently holding the file.

   (g) Grievance Register entries for this work in the last 24 months.

   (h) Name and contact of the First Appellate Authority for this office.

2. Fee: ₹10 by Indian Postal Order in favour of the Accounts Officer.

3. Severability: Per Section 10(1) read with Section 10(2) of the RTI Act, if
   any portion is exempt I request the rest to be supplied.

4. Transfer: Per Section 6(3), if outside this office's scope, transfer to the
   right authority within 5 days.

5. I expect reply within 30 days under Section 7(1).

Yours faithfully,
[Your full name]
[Address, phone, email]

Encl.: IPO ₹10

• Wrong agency — city flyover RTIs sent to NHAI come back. Always check the toll plaque at the foot of the flyover for the executing agency.
• Vague identification — say “[Name + start-end road + nearest landmark + originally sanctioned date]”. A bare “the new flyover near my colony” gets a clarification request.
• Asking for opinions — RTI gives records, not opinions. Re-frame “why is it delayed” as “the file noting recording the reasons for delay”.
• No fee — non-acceptance.

A citizen in Pune filed an RTI in January 2024 for the Yashvant Sarmandal flyover, sanctioned in 2018 for ₹47 crore, still incomplete in 2024. The PIO of Pune Municipal Corporation Roads Department replied in 28 days. The file showed: 3 contractor changes, 2 cost revisions (final ₹89 crore), and a stay order from Bombay HC since 2022 due to land disputes. The citizen filed a follow-up RTI to the Maharashtra PWD legal cell for the litigation status. PWD admitted the case had been settled in October 2023 and work could resume; it had not, due to delayed retendering. The citizen filed a complaint to the Maharashtra Lokayukta with both RTI replies attached. Work resumed in May 2024.

Use our AI RTI Drafter (60 seconds) — it auto-detects the right authority by location and uses the latest sample format. Or use AwaazRTI to dictate in your language.

• Right to Information Act, 2005 — §6, §7, §8, §10, §19. Full text.
• NHAI Act, 1988 — for national-highway flyovers.
• State PWD Codes — Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, etc., govern state-PWD record management.

• AI RTI Drafter
• First Appeal Builder
• All sample RTI letters
• RTI for money and schemes
• RTI case-law database

Last reviewed: 4 May 2026.