Expert reports question wisdom of Ashram flyover

Expert reports question wisdom of Ashram flyover
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) is pushing hard for a flyover near Ramakrishna Ashram Circle in Basavanagudi, but its feasibility report has come under the scanner. Two separate groups of traffic experts, including advisors to the State Government as well as other southern states, have expressed reservations over the report as well as the techno-economic feasibility of the project. However, the pressure to push ahead with the project is so intense that no expert wants to go on record. Both reports are available on the Basavanagudi Nagarika Vedike website: www.geocities.com/ramakrishnacircle.

While BCC Commissioner Jothiramalingam could not be contacted for his comment, Mayor R Narayanaswamy said that he was not sure if the BMP had taken a second opinion over the report from STUP consultants. The experts noted that the present design of the circle, with a five-arm roundabout with no signals, was in keeping with a good intersection type that can reduce vehicular conflicts, thereby enhancing intersection capacity and safety.

The experts noted that the data on traffic volume were not correlated to the junction geometry.

Besides, there are contradictions over movement of vehicles in the morning and evening peak hours, the experts noted. The BMP report has also failed to identify alternatives such as improving the traffic geometry of the circle. Instead of solving problems, the project would create new problems, the experts contend. The projections for the next five, 10 and 20 years are based on statistics averaged for the whole city, whereas this is an old residential locality where growth rates are significantly lower, the experts added.