Pedestrian safety has finally been considered on the busy Ballari Road. Close to 10 days after two persons were killed after being mowed down by a water tanker at the Kempapura junction, the first hurdle to construct a pedestrian skywalk has been cleared. A prefabricated metallic skywalk, complete with two elevators on both the sides, is expected to come up at the junction in a month.
The wide Ballari road becomes narrow at the Kempapura junction. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had notified land for acquisition to widen the road at the junction in 2011, but the work had been pending since then.
The NHAI swung into action late on Saturday night to widen the road. Earthmovers demolished the compound walls of Esteem Mall and Hebbal Electric Crematorium to acquire the notified land.
“The junction would now be widened to the extent that the carriageway on either side of the median is 35 metres,” said A.K. Mathur, Chief General Manager, NHAI, Bengaluru.
The road-widening project, which has been on the backburner, was the main reason that the skywalk project to be held up, officials said.
The Rs. 2.4-crore skywalk project is being funded by Columbia Asia hospital. Basavaraj, Assistant Engineer, Bruhat Bangalore Mahnagara Palike, Byatarayanapura ward, who is heading the project, said the Traffic Engineering Cell of the BBMP had given the hospital authorities the design for the skywalk. “A fabricator has been given the contract by the hospital and the work on the prefabricated metallic bridge has started. It may take a month for the skywalk to become functional,” he said.
