The State government may be planning to revive the controversial steel flyover — which Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara calls an elevated corridor — but citizens and commuters have stressed on the need to complete existing infrastructure works that appear to have taken a back seat.
The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has made little headway in decongesting traffic on Hebbal flyover. Work on adding a loop of two lanes to the existing flyover is far from nearing completion. The authority had initially set April 2018 as the deadline to complete the project, but then extended it to December.
The new loop with two lanes will help in the smooth flow of traffic from Kempegowda International Airport side to the Central Business District.
Citing lack of funds, the BDA had wanted the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike to take up the project. As the contractor’s bill was not getting cleared, work on the project slowed down, said sources.
A senior BDA official said the government has promised to fund the ₹88 crore project, which includes construction of a uni-directional underpass. “The BDA has no money to take up projects. The construction of the loop will cost ₹50 crore. The contractor had submitted a bill of ₹9 crore, which is yet to be cleared. Though we had written to the BBMP to take over the project, they are yet to respond,” said the official. He added that the government has promised to fund the project, but admitted that the pace of work is slow.
The new loop will go over the one currently used by vehicles coming from the Outer Ring Road (Manyata Tech Park side) towards the city. The down ramp ends at Baptist Hospital to join the main road. The BDA has to build 43 piers to support the loop. However, only a few are seen at the location.
The Hebbal flyover is one of the worst-hit junctions in the city. Motorists coming from the direction of the airport get stuck in traffic as only two lanes are available in the existing flyover to move towards the city. “Though there is another loop, few vehicles use it as it’s not easily accessible. Adding one more loop with two lanes will help reduce the traffic gridlock in the area,” the BDA official added.
For constructional of the underpass, the official said that the BDA has written to the authorities seeking permission to take up the project and sought clarity on whether NGT guidelines on lake buffer zone are applicable at the site. The uni-directional underpass will help ease flow of traffic coming from Manyata Tech Park side towards Tumakuru Road.
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Tender floated in 2015
In 2015, the BDA had floated the tender for the project at an estimated cost of ₹74 crore. Work was expected to start in 2016. The project was shelved when the then Congress government decided to build a steel flyover between Basaveshwara Circle and Esteem Mall (traversing over Hebbal flyover).
The BDA revived this project after the government dropped the steel flyover project in March, 2017 following public outrage.
Now, the coalition government is keen on implementing the steel flyover project, which is estimated to cost ₹2,000 crore.
