Magic box

Magic box


It’s the magic box which will make your journey smooth on the Hebbal road. The BBMP’s ready-to-fit underpasses got chief secretary P B Mahishi’s consent on Friday. The test site at Veterinary Sciences College where a pilot underpass has been set up in a record 72 hours will be replicated at seven junctions — Windsor Manor Bridge, BDA Junction, Cauvery Junction, CBI Junction, Sanjaynagar Junction, Maharani’s College and KR Circle.
That these underpasses can take two heavy motor vehicles — a BMTC bus and a fully loaded truck — is a testimony to the load-bearing capacity of the concrete structure. “The technology will work wonders for the city, as it will cut the project duration to just days and the cost is onetenth of the conventional grade separators’ cost,’’ Mahishi said.
BBMP commissioner S Subramanya said work will begin on December 15 and a traffic plan will be put in place — develop service roads so that traffic can be divided. Near Balabrooie, the road has to be completely excavated with water lines running densely. At no point will the road be closed and by March, the stretch between Balabrooie and Hebbal Flyover will be completely signal-free.
PLAN FOR JUNCTIONS ALONG
HEBBAL MAIN ROAD
Windsor Manor Bridge: The BBMP will widen the existing road to six lanes as it has already acquired land from the golf club. Two pre-cast elements will be placed in the middle of the circle that will allow commuters to take a right turn towards Hotel Ashok, and allow vehicles coming from Anugraha to come on to to Hebbal main road and take a left or right turn.
Cost: Rs 1 crore.
Time: 7 days
BDA Junction: A relatively simple plan with two up and down ramps on the Hebbal main road. Two box underpasses will allow vehicles from Bangalore Palace to move towards Malleswaram, and vehicles from Cauvery Junction can take a right turn towards Malleswaram.
As ramps need embankments, it is estimated that this project will take a little more time.
Cost: Rs 2.5 crore. Time: 45 days.
Cauvery Junction: Vehicles moving towards Hebbal will have to take a left turn towards Bhashyam Circle and take a U-turn after moving 50 metres and join the Hebbal Road again. A box will be introduced to take a U-turn, another at the junction which will allow vehicles from Bhashyam Circle join the Hebbal Road and move towards the city.
Cost: Rs 1.5 crore Time: 3 days.
CBI Junction and Sanjaynagar Junction:
Underpasses will be erected in the middle of the road below surface level.
Cost Rs 1 crore each Time: 3 days.
OTHER UNDERPASSES
Maharani College: Underpasses will be put up below the surface level and allow two-way movement. At the surface level, vehicles coming from Anand Rao Circle will move towards K R Circle uninterrupted.
K R Circle: A huge circular underpass right in the middle of the road where five roads meet — Vidhana Veedhi, Cubbon Park Road, Nrupathunga Road, Central College Road, Maharani’s College Road. Here, the circular underpass will allow vehicles from Maharani’s College to take the underpass to get into Cubbon Park and Nrupathunga Road and vice-versa. Up and down ramps will be provided for vehicles to move from Vidhana Veedhi to move towards Nrupathunga Road, Central College Road and vice-versa.
The proposed high-speed rail link to BIAL cutting through the Outer Ring Road from B R V Grounds off MG Road will remain a distant dream.
Though the investment for the project is huge, the authorities should be able to take it up in the next four to five years.