Underpass is thrown open, finally

Underpass is thrown open, finally
DH News Service,Bangalore:
After weeks of intense media scrutiny, the much-awaited Cauvery Junction underpass finally sprang to life on Wednesday afternoon.

As Palike administrator Dilip Rau and Principal Secretary for Urban Development Department Jyotiramalingam flagged off vehicles through the underpass, the BBMP was creating a record of sorts.
First of the Palike’s steps towards ensuring a signal-free road to the international airport at Devanahalli, the underpass has been finished in a record time of 36 days using pre-cast box models. Six more underpasses are to come up on the road to airport.

However, there’s a stutter now in BBMP’s signal-free dreams. Though the underpass has eliminated signal lights at the Cauvery theatre junction, a fresh manned signal has emerged in the middle of Cauvery theatre-BDA junction stretch.

The manned junction has been necessitated to facilitate the Vyalikaval-bound vehicles from Mekhri Circle take a U-turn well before the BDA junction. However, BBMP commissioner Dr S Subramanya said the problem would be over once the construction of the underpass at BDA junction is completed.

Construction of the underpass began on January 15 with the Palike declaring the work would be completed in 72 hours (three days). As a BWSSB water pipeline got ruptured during excavation, the work was delayed forcing the commissioner to seek 10 more days.

The second deadline too was not kept as the seepage of water continued. A horizontal borewell was then sunk through which the seepage water was led into a nearby storm water drain. The work gathered pace once the problem was solved.


SKYWALKS

BBMP has proposed to put up skywalks to help pedestrians cross the signal-free road to the International Airport at Devanahalli. Palike Commissioner Dr S Subramanya, while admitting that pedestrians will be at a greater risk once the road to airport is made signal-free, assured that the Palike would put up skywalks.
The government had plans to start an elevated train service to the airport from the City. “The Palike will go through the alignment prepared for the elevated train and decide where to put the skywalks,” he said.