BDA posts apology note at flyover site

Dust flies at flyover site, BDA says sorry
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: ‘We are sorry, flyover will be completed by 15th September 2004’. That’s the message the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has put up on boards around the Bangalore Dairy circle flyover.

The construction of this on Hosur Road has been going on for almost two years now and its completion date has been regularly pushed back. As a result, chaos and confusion reigns.

The fine dust kicked up is also causing heartburn for Kidwai and NIMHANS as some of their critical equipments and components are located close to the road.

‘‘The construction is going on for more than a year. We have seen BDA setting many deadlines for completion of the project, but only on paper. We are not able to ride on this road because of the heavy dust and rain has made the situation worse,’’ says Siddalingeshwar, a technician in Kidwai.

Vishwakumar and Keshav Murthi, who also work in Kidwai say some medical equipment and air coolers have already packed up due to the heavy dust the road kicks up.

Pedestrians complain that they are not able to cross the road as they are flooded with vehicles of all sizes and shapes all the time. “We use the path under the bridge to cross the roads, but the electric wires and other iron materials placed there makes it more difficult to cross,” says Suresh, who works nearby.

The angry public also point to construction hours. ’’I think major construction work can be done at night and the road kept fully open at night. At least then, the peak hour traffic is not affected,’’ says Gopi Ragunath.

The uneven road has made the ride more bumpy. Unlike other BDA construction sites, the UP State Bridge Building Corporation, which has got the contract here, has not asphalted or at least evened out the lanes that are in use. Often, the chassis of low floor buses get caught on the uneven surfaces.

‘‘It takes about half an hour to cover half a km and driving a bus is not an easy task,’’ says Ramesh, a BMTC bus driver. Police are also helpless in controlling traffic as vehicles queue up for a long time to pass this stretch.

Police constable Sidde Gowda says, ‘‘We really struggle to maintain a smooth flow and people ask us when the work will get over.’’

BDA PRO Anil Kumar said the authority has assured the Chief Minister that the flyover would be completed by September 15. ‘‘We are committed to it,’’ he added.