Magic underpass: work going on at brisk pace

Magic underpass: work going on at brisk pace

Staff Reporter

Shops using the time to spruce up their premises

Officials confident of placing concrete elements today

Soil nailing to start on Tuesday

BANGALORE: Work on the “ready-to-fit” pre-cast underpass at Cauvery junction continued on a brisk pace on Monday and Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials were confident of placing the remaining concrete elements into the trench by Tuesday morning.

Till late on Monday evening, workers were treating the bed with metal aggregate and dry lean concrete to place the remaining nine concrete elements.

Though water seepage continued in the trench, it was diverted into a temporary well on one end from where it was pumped out for the time-being. “We are creating two seep points and providing a vent to carry the water from the seepage point to the zero-point of the underpass, which comes in front of the Cauvery cinema. We are also installing an alternative vent through horizontal drilling method across the underpass to culminate at the cinema junction. This will help in carrying the water to the main drain if the seep points are clogged or blocked,” BBMP Commissioner S Subramanaya told The Hindu on Monday.

After the elements are placed, soil nailing would start on Tuesday followed by ramp formation and asphalting works. “Once the elements are placed, half of our work is over and the finishing works will not take much time,” BBMP Chief Engineer (Major Roads) K.S. Krishna Reddy said.

He said a portion of earth near the elements that were placed on Sunday gave in and a lot of time was spent of clearing the mud from the trench. “Otherwise, we would have completed the element launching work by Monday evening,” he said.

Shops and establishments in the vicinity of the work spot whose business has been hit following the work are using the time to clean and renovate their shops.

“Anyways we have no business for the last five days and cannot hope any till this work is completed. So we are getting the shop renovated by fitting it with new furnishings,” an employee of a parlour said.

Similarly, a florist’s shop on the other side of the underpass, which has closed down ever since the work started , is being refurbished.
Alternative proposal

Members of Kumara Park West Residents’ Welfare Association met BBMP Commissioner on Monday and submitted an alternative proposal to decongest the narrow V.S Raju Road and Sheshadripuam Main Road after the proposed underpass at BDA junction is ready.