Three new bridges in city

Three new bridges in city
These projects will ease traffic snarls at these crucial junctions
The Times of India

Even as the ongoing infrastructure projects in the city are battling to meet the deadlines, three new extravagant road-over-bridges (ROBs), have been planned to cater to the huge vehicular load in some areas. The three ROBs are planned at Mathikere - M S Ramaiah hospital towards Ring Road, Byappanahalli - Banaswadi towards Old Madras Road, and at ITC factory towards Wheeler Road. These joint venture projects are on a cost-sharing basis between the Bangalore City Corporation (BCC) and the South Western Railways. And unlike some projects where land had to be acquired from the public, acquisition here is apparently minimal.

For the proposed Mathikere ROB, the BCC would require some land from KPTCL. The project is slated at a budget of Rs 11 crores. Explains a senior BCC official, "at the places where the road-overbridges are proposed, there is vehicular movement of more than a lakh". For instance, should the Banaswadi ROB take off, civic authorities are confident it would cater to the Bangalore-Salem traffic which presently is infamous for traffic-related causalities. The Byappanahalli and ITC Factory projects will be built at a cost of Rs 18 crores. "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", he says.

Though authorities are not forthcoming about the deadlines of these projects, apparently meticulous research has gone into the blueprint. In fact, the General Arrangement Drawings were prepared and finalised by South Western Railways in tandem with a private consultant.