BENGALURU: A huge relief is in store for commuters who come in vehicles to board trains at Baiyappanahalli Metro station if the BBMP’s move to construct an underpass here materialises. The circuitous route that needs to be taken on the traffic-choked Old Madras Road to reach the Metro station here is a daily grievance among Metro commuters.
A vehicular bi-directional underpass is being planned at the junction of Suranjan Das Road and Old Madras Road. “It will come up at a cost of `45.8 crore under the special infrastructure project scheme of the Nagarothana Scheme. It will be fully funded by the state government,” a top BBMP official of the infrastructure division said.
With no alternative route to the Old Madras Road, BBMP will go in for a novel method to carry out the work so that traffic is not affected, the official said.
“For the first time in Bengaluru, we are going to make use of the contiguous piling system technology. It is a system where piling (foundation work) is carried out underneath and a big deck slab is put over it,” the official said.
There will be provisions incorporated in the structure so that Suranjan Das Road and Whitefield can be connected in the future, he added.
“We are trying to push for speedy completion so that the underpass is in place by May 2018, though the contract permits a few more months. This will benefit Metro commuters enormously,” the official said.
According to another official, the underpass was being spoken of since 2011, when it was estimated to cost just `21 crore.
Rishikesh, assistant vice-president, DynPro India Pvt Ltd, is among the hundreds who park their vehicles in the morning at Baiyappanahalli before taking a Metro to their offices.
He travels to Halasuru. “I have to ensure that I am on Old Madras Road before 8am. If not, it will take anywhere between 10 and 15 minutes on this traffic-packed stretch to take a U-turn just before Indiranagar Metro station and reach the station.”