Zip to new airport in signal-free traffic

Zip to new airport in signal-free traffic
Five Underpasses To Come Up Between High Grounds And Hebbal Flyover
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: The high-level task force set up to look into infrastructure leading to the international airport has stepped on the accelerator to get commuters in time for their flights.
At its first meeting on Thursday, sweeping shortterm measures were proposed. The meeting, attended by several heads of government departments and industry representatives, decided to put in place a signal-free road between High Grounds police station and Hebbal flyover. BBMP will put up five underpasses in the stretch for a smooth traffic flow.
Infrastructure secretary V P Baligar told TOI: “We will put in place a number of underpasses, which will be built from pre-cast RCC structures, at various bottlenecks to allow free flow of traffic.”
The underpasses, each of which will take no more than two days to put up, will come at Windsor Manor junction, BDA junction, Cauvery junction, Sanjay Nagar junction and CBI junction. The estimated cost for each one is between Rs 60 lakh and Rs 1 crore. “It was stated at the meeting that while the underpasses are being constructed, the work will in no way disrupt the traffic flow,” said Reguraj, chairman of CII, Karnataka, who was present at the meeting.
The BBMP, which will undertake the construction of these underpasses, will commence work on December 15, and has set a deadline of January 30, 2008.
Closer to the airport, the trumpet interchange that BIAL is working on — one leading from the direction of Hyderbad to the airport and the other leading from the airport towards Bangalore — is proposed to be finished before March 30, 2008, the opening date of the international airport. However, the main trumpet leading from the Bangalore side to the airport and from the airport to the Hyderabad side will only be completed by August 2008.
The public works department has undertaken the task to get six arterial roads leading to the airport ready before February next year. Some of these include SH 104 Bangalore-Nandi Road, Devanahalli to airport via Anneswara village. The NH4 to the airport and NH7 to the airport are also proposed to be improved.
Baligar said the second meeting of the task force will be either on Dec 17 or 18.
GIFT BOX to ease TRAFFIC WOES
Cut it, fit it and shut it. This is BBMP’s new mantra to clear bottlenecks. Cutting down on money, time and traffic hassles, the BBMP is taking refuge in these new-age pre-cast boxes that can be fitted onto roads in no time.
For the first time, BBMP has introduced a Malaysian technology, Elements, which is an RCC arch segment box and square box that can be fitted onto the road at a cost of just Rs 1 crore.
The first stretch identified for the project is Bellary Road and work is proceeding in three casting yards — Okalipuram, Peenya and Hebbal — using machinery from Malaysia and Germany.
While the cost of precast blocks is Rs 60 lakh, fixing it, constructing the ramp and road will cost Rs 40 lakh. BBMP has identified 26 bottlenecks for the project.
TECHNOLOGY
Excavating the earth takes a day. Laying concrete base will take another two. Next will be lowering the precast structure, which will take two days. Thirty interlocking blocks of 1 metre each, nailed to the ground with weld mesh, will avoid earth caving in. The embankments will be reinforced by concrete panelling. Finally, earth will be filled on top of the box and ramps will be put up.
FEATURES
Underpass will be 15-metre wide to allow two buses to pass simultaneously. It will be fitted with solar lighting, vents for rainwater and pedestrian walkway. The arch segment, which is unidirectional, will be used for 9-metre clearance and box element for 4.5 metre.