Traffic police trash all proposed flyovers

Traffic police trash all proposed flyovers
Underpasses At Tagore Circle, Minerva Circle, Mission Road May Not Take Off
The Times of India

Bangalore: How can we have such a maze?
That is the message the traffic police have sent out to the civic authorities for planning many flyovers in South Bangalore.

In a letter to the BMP, the traffic police have asked them to ‘go easy’ on the implementation of the 10 new flyovers-cum-underpasses planned in south Bangalore, as part of the South Corridor Project.

A major hurdle, they say, is that the ramps of at least four underpasses would eat into the Core Inner Ring Road — work on which is likely to start soon.

The proposed Core Ring Road cuts through Sirsi Circle, Prof Shivshankar Circle, Minerva Circle in South Bangalore, apart from eight chaotic junctions in other parts of the city.

That hitch apart, the traffic police have also questioned the necessity of even having such a plethora of ‘development’ projects with no justification of its necessity.

Sample some of the proposed ‘development’ projects in South Bangalore — South End Circle flyover, Minerva Circle flyover, Town Hall subway, Tagore Circle grade separator, RV Teachers’ College grade separator, Mission Road grade separator.

A senior traffic police official admits that the National College flyover has “turned out to be an utter waste of time, money and energy.’’ “Even before it was constructed, we tried reasoning that it would not serve the greater common good. Unfortunately, the local people in power were adamant on seeing it done. Now if a National College student stretches his hand out of his classroom window, it reaches the flyover. It has not helped the area, nothing can be done now’’ the police official explained.

Residents remember how Dr H Narasimhaiah fought tooth and nail against the National College flyover. If on the one hand, the traffic police have expressed displeasure about the projects, all these proposals are yet to get a nod from the state government.

However, Bangalore Mahanagara Palike justifies the necessity of having an excess of flyovers, “These projects are taken up keeping in mind long-term needs of a city. We need radial roads that run towards the city and ring roads that encircle it. Ten years from now, we will be thankful for having done these projects,’’ pointed out a BMP official.

Real money for paper projects
For the record, a chunk of these flyovers and underpasses have been on paper for the last five years with budgetary allocations every year. The South End Circle flyover, which is yet to see the light of day, has had allocations to the tune of Rs 11 crore since 2000. Similarly, Rs 7.7 crore for Minerva Circle flyover, and 1 crore for Mission Road flyover.