BCC plans 3 more road bridges

BCC plans 3 more road bridges
Will The Ambitious Projects Remain On Paper? Just Wait And See
The Times of India

Bangalore: The Bangalore City Corporation has done it again. Planning more projects. What happens to projects already announced in budget after budget? Status: Flyovers grounded, road over bridges not over, down under and road under bridges buried!

Even as ongoing infrastructure projects in the city are limping towards an elusive deadline, the BCC is planning three new extravagant road over bridges (ROBs). Ostensibly to cater to the chaotic vehicular load plaguing the respective areas.

The three ROBs planned are at — Mathikere, from M.S. Ramaiah side towards Ring Road; Byappanahalli, from Banaswadi towards Old Madras Road; ITC factory towards Wheeler Road. Akin to a joint venture, the projects are on a cost-sharing basis between the BCC and the South Western Railway. Unlike a few other projects where land had to be acquired from the public, acquisition here is apparently minimal.

A factor touted as innovative and contemporary is making them four-lane bridges.
At the proposed Mathikere ROB, the BCC would require some land from Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation. Slated at a budget of Rs 11 crore, the project envisages alleviating the chaotic traffic situation at NH-4.

Explains BCC Technical Adviser R. Jaiprasad about the necessity of such infrastructure: “At the places where the road over bridges are proposed, there is vehicular movement of more than a lakh every day. With an ROB, we hope that it will help smooth movement.’’ Though authorities are not forthcoming about the deadlines of these projects, apparently meticulous research has gone into the project blue-print. In fact, the General Arrangement Drawings were prepared and finalised by South Western Railway in tandem with Rail India Techno and Economic Services.

Says BCC Commissioner K. Jothiramalingam: “These three places have been identified after studying the scenario. There is a lot of traffic hold-up at places like Byappanahalli and near the ITC Factory because of train movement. In fact, it is a long pending demand by people to provide some respite to rush-hour traffic.’’

Will these projects take off ? Why start new projects without completing old ones? Over to BCC before it announces some more projects without completing these.

MEANWHILE, HERE ARE THE PENDING SCHEMES

• National College Flyover — to be completed this month-end
• Rajajinagar Entrance grade separator — July end
• Modi Road underpass — early August
• Nehrunagar road-under-bridge — August

ANNOUNCED, BUT YET TO TAKE OFF

• Yeshwanthpur-Malleswaram junction flyover — Rs 12 crore (announced a year ago)
• Malleswaram circle underpass — Rs 14 crore (announced a year ago)
• Minerva Flyover — Rs 19 crore (announced a year ago).

NEW RESPITES

Mathikere ROB (road-over-bridge) — Rs 11 crore
Byappanahalli ROB — Rs 18 crore
ITC Factory ROB — Rs 18 crore