Koramangala jams to end this month

Koramangala jams to end this month
No deadline worries: authorities say they can open Madiwala underpass by the end of July if work progresses at the current pace
Manasi Paresh Kumar


The underpass coming up near Kendriya Sadhan on Madiwala main road vows to accomplish what most public infrastructure projects have failed to — meeting the deadline. BBMP Chief Engineer (Storm Water Drain and Major Roads) Chikkarayappa said the work had been going on at a quick pace to meet the 90-day deadline. “If we succeed in maintaining the same pace, we will be able to open it by the end of July itself,” he said.
For a road user, this underpass will mean easy movement on the busy stretch of Madiwala road and better connectivity of Bangalore East to Electronic city. It will also help motorists avoid a detour via Madiwala market to reach Hosur Road. The immediate advantage that the BBMP sees is that vehicles moving from HSR layout, Electronic City and J P Nagar will be able to cross the St Johns Hospital Junction in less time.
The project also introduces an engineering technique which reduces the cost and construction time by half. “We are using a technique called soil nailing instead of the conventional RCC retaining wall that will line the underpass. This method allows us to just nail the soil with iron roads covered with a steel mesh and coated with concrete mix. This reduces the time taken as well,” said BBMP Superintending Engineer (Major Roads) K T Nagaraj.
SEVEN MORE TO COME
This underpass is part of the Big Ten Signal-Free Corridors project mooted to replace the Inner Core Ring Road project. It is also the first of the eight underpasses that will dot the 6-km stretch between Electronic City and Vellara Junction. “The other under passes will come up at Sarjapur Junction, Mari Gowda Junction, Forum Mall Junction, Adugodi Junction, Banneghatta Cemetery Junction, Langford junction and Vellara Junction,” said Nagaraj.
However, it is unlikely that work on these seven underpasses will start in a year due to the difficulty in land acquisition. “While the military has agreed to give us land for the project — the underpass will eat into the Military School premises — we are yet to give them alternative land,” said Chikkarayappa.
But military land is the least of BBMP’s problems. The private owners are yet to take up the option of TDR.
THE BIG PROJECT
THE BIG Ten Signal Free Corridors project was mooted after the BBMP found that Inner Core Ring Road project would not be financially viable and they would need to levy toll from commuters. The elevated Inner Core Ring Road was to run a full circle starting from Yeshwanthpur and go through Magadi Road, Binny Mill Road, Sirsi Circle, Chamarajpet, Minerva Circle, Dairy Circle, Hosur, Trinity Circle and Ulsoor before going back to Yeshwanthpur. The first phase of the signalfree corridors with multiple underpasses will include Rajajinagar to Yeshwanthpur, Old Airport road to Vellara junction, Silk Board to Vellara Junction and Mekhri Circle to Hope Farm via Jayamahal and Murphy Road.
THE UNDERPASS
COST Rs 8 cr LENGTH 260m WIDTH 15m LENGTH OF PRE-CAST ELEMENT 30m