Flyovers and underpasses are two important constructions that allow for more efficient and faster transport. They become a necessity when roads are congested because of heavy traffic and people of one locality find it difficult to move to another having to take diversions instead of getting a straight road that would save a lot of time and effort. Though both flyovers and underpasses serve the same purpose of making transport easier, there are many differences between them arising mainly because of differences in design and architecture.
In general a flyover is an overpass that is constructed over a main road to facilitate movement of people or railway. Sometimes, a flyover is a railway passage made over an underneath railway passage. At times, it looks like a bridge across a road, and at times, a flyover gives the appearance of a road flying over another road. Sometimes, a flyover is made only for pedestrians to allow for their safe passage over a busy main road. In such situations, a flyover is exactly like an underground tunnel (like an underground subway); only that it is built in air and is open. Flyovers or overpasses are engineering marvels and at places, they make a crisscross of roads over a main road that not only looks beautiful, but allows for faster and more efficient transport of people and vehicles.
Underground passages are more common and older than flyovers as in earlier times; they were made under an existing road to allow for safe passage of pedestrians. They are more commonly seen in England and other commonwealth countries than North America. In fact, subway is the term used to refer to passages made underneath a railway or a highway. In general, a depressed roadway underneath a main passage is called an underpass. In the US and other American countries, interstate highways are often inaccessible for pedestrians and to facilitate their movement, underpasses are made. Once pedestrians cross the road, they take stairs to come up to the level of the upper road or highway.
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In brief: Flyover vs Underpass • Flyovers are just the opposite of underpasses in concept as they are roads above roads while underpasses are passages built underneath overhead roads. • Flyovers are costly to construct and take more time to be made whereas underpasses are made easily as they are simpler in design
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