The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has started load-testing on Goraguntepalya flyover recently. To facilitate the testing process, the traffic police have closed the main carriage of the highway from Eight Mile Cross to Parle G toll gate and are allowing traffic only on the service road.
M.K. Wathore, Chief General Manager of NHAI, said the flyover will be reopened for traffic by this weekend. However, everything will depend on when the experts from IISc would give nod for reopening.
Blockage of the main carriage has caused inconvenience to the motorists. To man the traffic on the busy road, a total of 70 staff have been deployed. The testing will continue for three more days.
“As per the NHAI officials, the load-testing has to be done continuously for 38 hours to 72 hours. We have sought cooperation from motorists using the road. Till the completion of the testing, motorists heading towards Nelamangala are asked to use the ORR and through Magadi Road can reach NICE Road; from there, they travel towards Tumakuru Road. For smooth flow of traffic on the service road, police have been directed to clear road side parking,” said Kuldeep Kumar R Jain, DCP (traffic west).
It is not just motorists using private vehicles, public transport and long distance buses operated by the Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) are also badly hit. Ramachandra, a bus driver said, “At night, it takes at least one and half hours to reach the toll gate from Yeshwanthpur after the flyover was closed. Delay in re-opening of the line is causing a lot of problems to the public.”
On the other hand, people have also questioned the toll collection from motorists at the toll gate near the Parle G toll gate. Sunil P, a motorist, said, “Even after closing the flyover, the toll booth remains functional and motorists continue to pay the fee. The NHAI should intervene and give relief from paying toll fee till the flyover is re-opened for the traffic.”
