Benniganahalli underpass work may take two more years

Benniganahalli underpass work may take two more years

K.V. Subramanya

Congestion on the road is causing great inconvenience to people

Union Ministry of Road Transport has sanctioned Rs. 12.1 crore for widening the underpass

Two vents are going to be constructed to widen the underpass

BANGALORE: Bangloreans heaved a sigh of relief after the Union Government recently announced that the Railways would soon start work on widening the narrow railway underpass near the Benniganahalli flyover on Old Madras Road, which has been contributing to frequent traffic jams.

However, Bangaloreans bound for the International Technology Park Ltd. (ITPL) or going towards Tirupati have to bear with the hardship for at least two more years. According to sources in the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, it would take a minimum of two years for the Railways to complete the work.

Sources told The Hindu that two vents, each of seven metre-width, are going to be constructed to widen the underpass. Special girders have to be built for the vents and casting of these girders itself would take around eight months. Finding suitable place on the busy road for casting the girders is also a challenge, according to the sources.

Besides, 16 guntas of land required for the underpass widening had to be transferred to the Railways from the State Public Works Department.

Though the land transfer process was on, it would take a few months for it to be completed, the sources said, while explaining why the completion of the underpass work would take around two years.

For the past four years, the underpass widening work had been put on the backburner as there was confusion over the agency that should execute the work: National Highways Authority of India or the Railways, or the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike.

Recently, Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways K.H. Muniyappa announced in Bangalore that the Railways would take up the work, and Rs. 12.10 crore had been sanctioned by his Ministry for the widening of the underpass, situated on the national highway.

The frequent congestion at the railway underpass, which presently has a single vent, has led to the crumbling of infrastructure on Old Madras Road. Traffic jams at the underpass are resulting in piling-up of vehicles on the cable-stayed bridge and also the Benniganhalli flyover, two important infrastructure projects executed on the Old Madras Road in recent years.

The traffic snarls have put people, mainly those going towards ITPL, Whitefield and Mahadevapura, to inconvenience.

Taking a serious note of the problem, Greater Bangalore Industries Association as well as the information technology (IT) companies had submitted several memorandums to the Government. Several manufacturing industries are situated in Mahadevapura.