Hi-tech remedy to traffic malady

Steel flyovers to help cut construction time
OUT OF THE BOX
Hi-tech remedy to traffic malady
NIRAD MUDUR
Vijay Times

Bangalore: Conventional flyovers which take a long time to complete, in the process adding to the traffic congestion and public inconvenience, could be a thing of the past if the views of the members of the high-po wered committee on infrastructure are taken seriously by the State Go vernment.

Sources privy to the weekly meetings of the six-member committee told Vijay T imes that the members have opined that no future construction of conventional flyovers should be taken up . But, if required, it has to be done following consultation with the T raffic police who would identify areas where flyo vers are needed.

H o wever , the flyo vers of the future would have to be steel-framed and built off-site before being brought for assembly on-site at nights when the traffic density is thin, the members have opined, sources said.

Interestingly , these views are similar to those of Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) Commissioner , M N Vidyashankar , who had announced in August that a hi-tech German technology could be used to build mobile flyo vers of the future. These would be steel-fabricated structures built off-site and mo ved to the site for assembly .

The new technology requires just three to four months -- less than half the time taken to build conventional concrete flyo vers. It requires no digging, no additional land for acquisition and causes no inconvenience to the public. The construction cost would be at least 50 per cent more , but can be offset b y the short duration of construction and the peoplefriendly technology used.

The views of the committee , headed b y Chief Secr etary B K Das, ar e understood to have come in the wake of major and continuing traffic problems posed b y incomplete flyo vers ..

Bangaloreans got the worst of these half-built flyo vers during the r ecent rains when the dug-up portions of the flyo ver sites wer e flooded, posing a thr eat to the safety of pedestrians and vehicles .

No construction of conventional flyovers
If required, it has to be done following consultation with the traffic police
Flyovers must be steel-framed
They should be built off-site