Another flyover to ease traffic on JC Road

Another flyover to ease traffic on JC Road
Vijay Times

Bangalore: If the Bangalore City Corporation (BCC) has its way, it will go ahead with its plan to construct another flyover linking the Poornima Theatre on the Mission Road to the Town Hall on the JC Road at an estimated cost of Rs 12 crore.

The 200-metre flyover is basically intended to ease out traffic congestion at the various points falling on the busy J C Road. The BCC, it may be mentioned, had floated tenders for the construction of the Minerva Circle flyover on the JC Road and the additional flyover entails diverting traffic from the Minerva Circle on to the flyover to reach the Shivaji Theatre and thereafter proceed on to the Town Hall to reach Hudson Circle or the KR Market.

The only hurdle for the smooth flow of traffic was being posed by the signal near the Shivaji Theatre and has now drawn the BCC into mooting the proposed flyover on the Mission Road. However, those willing can also take the grade level road, but cannot criss-cross the road to enter the KR Market with the traffic being allowed one-way. Similarly, the commuters from the Minerva Circle cannot take a right turn before the Ravindra Kalashetra.

Initially, the BCC had proposed a flyover to link Nrupathunga Road to the Town Hall with a 900-metre underpass on the KG Road to connect the Hudson Circle which was, however, dropped on the basis of a feasibility report. Talking to Vijay Times, BCC Technical Advisor R Jaiprasad said, "The Town Hall is a heritage structure and the flyover would have spoilt its facade. Even the Bangalore Metro Rail had to realign its route for the same reason.''

As an alternative, the BCC is proposing to divert all vehicles from the Hudson Circle to take a left turn to emerge on the Mission Road and then take a right at the Devanga Circle. ''We are building a mini flyover at this place to enable buses to have a smooth passage through the first cross on the JC Road and take the flyover,'' Jaiprasad explained. Number of studies have been conducted since 1992 for constructing a grade separator at the Hudson Circle.