Mahatma Gandhi Road set to change forever

Mahatma Gandhi Road set to change forever

The Hindu

Contractor executing work on the Metro rail is ready to move in equipment

# Traffic diversions to begin within a fortnight
# Pillars of Metro rail will rest on the boulevard

BANGALORE: Take out cameras and shoot the pictures of Bangalore's most talked-about road.

The ever-so-vibrant Mahatma Gandhi Road will never be the same again.

The road that presents one of the great contrasts — a catwalk like space occupied by those dressed to kill on the one side, and a peaceful and picturesque boulevard on the other — is set to change forever.

People using this most arterial road of the Cantonment area will have to endure the construction of the elevated structure for the Metro rail whose pillars will rest on the boulevard.

Citizens can expect traffic diversions within a fortnight for the construction of Metro rail on a seven-km stretch of the 33-km Metro rail network.

When ready, the imposing elevated structure will partly loom over the heads of those walking on the boulevard and partly on the road.

The contractor, Navayuga Engineering Company (India) (NEC), is all set to move in the equipment.

The Hyderabad-based company has bagged the Rs. 138-crore award for construction of the elevated structure from Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium to Byappanahalli.

Draft plan

Managing Director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) V. Madhu told The Hindu that the contractor has already come with a draft plan for traffic diversion. The BMRCL officials were considering the plan.

The draft plan will be placed before the committee constituted by the Chief Secretary consisting of representatives of BMRCL, the police and the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation. It would be announced much ahead of the commencement of actual work, Mr. Madhu said.

Mobilising equipment

The NEC has a month's time (from January 20) to mobilise equipment and start work.

The firm has time till February 19 to start the work.

The contractor would first begin work on developing the casting yard on the open site (which the Defence has given to BMRCL on a temporary basis) on Old Madras Road near Indiranagar BDA complex.

The elevated structure will have fewer than 2,000 pre-cast segments — concrete blocks made away from the site and transported and put into shape on the site.

Elevated tracks

Though the length of the elevated tracks will be seven km, NEC will build a total of 5.5-km of elevated structure. The six stations and the attached elevated tracks will be awarded to another company. BMRCL has called another tender for Byappanahalli station-cum-yard where facility to park 170 coaches will be created.

Terminal

The terminal, spread across 1.5 lakh square metres, is estimated to cost Rs. 97 crore.

The complex above the terminal will measure about 2.25 lakh sq ft. The BMTC plans to create another terminal at Jalahalli for 110 coaches.

NEC is building a five-km elevated structure for the Delhi Metro, according to Mr. Madhu. It is the flagship entity of the Rs. 700-crore Navayuga group.

It constructed 1,800-square metre RCC Diaphragm Wall for the Embassy Heights on Magarath Road in 1997-98 using a special type of foundation.

NEC has 27 months — till April 19, 2009 — to complete the work.

The BMRC will put up signals and rails and take up electrification thereafter.

The trains are expected to move on from the Stadium to Byappanahalli from March 2010.