Underpass at Cauvery cinema may be ready only on Sunday

Underpass at Cauvery cinema may be ready only on Sunday

Special Correspondent

Flooding stalls progress in the installation of the concrete elements

A major drinking water supply pipeline has come in the way

Work on underpass at Palace Guttahalli intersection to commence on Sunday

— Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

Delayed: Work in progress at the underpass near Cauvery cinema junction in Bangalore on Thursday.

BANGALORE: The work on the new underpass at the busy Cauvery cinema intersection of Sankey Road has been delayed by a day and it is likely to be thrown open to vehicular traffic only on Sunday.

Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike Commissioner S. Subramanaya, who has been at the work spot for most of the last 48 hours, along with senior engineering staff including Chief Engineer (Roads) Krishna Reddy, told The Hindu that yet another major drinking water supply pipeline passing beneath the area where the proposed ramp for the underpass has to be laid has come in the way. Earlier, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board had told the BBMP that it was only a dummy water supply line.

Much to the concern of the BBMP personnel and the contractors for the project, earlier in the day the entire work area was flooded with water and there could not be any progress in the installation of the “ready-to-fit” underpass unless the water supply lines were shifted. While the BWSSB personnel were busy fixing the punctured 400 MM water supply line, the personnel of the BBMP were kept busy in pumping out the water from the area. It was also strange that the BWSSB personnel took several hours to even locate the valve to stop the flow of water in the pipeline concerned.

Irrespective of the delay in the commissioning of the underpass (it was originally scheduled to be opened in 72 hours with the work commencing on Wednesday. It is now expected to take double the time), many of the Sadashivanagar and Lower Palace Orchards residents expressed their appreciation to the speed in which the work was being executed. A German engineer (tourist) at the spot amazed by the huge earth-moving equipment deployed at the work spot said work on underpasses in his country was also executed in the same style.

Mr. Subramanya said during the intervening period (shifting of the water supply lines), the BBMP had completed the excavation of the earth to construct the ramps, the drainage of the underpass, soil nailing work and approach roads to the underpass. “All that now remains to be done is asphalting the new road and completing the grade level road to link over the underpass with the Sankey Road (leading to the Mekhri circle).”

The BBMP Commissioner said the work on a similar underpass at the Palace Guttahalli intersection of the Sankey road would commence on Sunday soon after the Cauvery underpass was thrown open.

“We are waiting for the completion of the first underpass before commencing the work at Palace Guttahalli which is a much more major work,” he added.