BENGALURU: A three-member expert team that surveyed the Hebbal flyover on Wednesday along with top Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) officials has said there is no threat to the structure. On reports regarding cracks on the flyover, the team said those were construction joints where multiple arms were linked to the concrete structure.
Three steps, however, to ensure there were no threats in future were recommended. R Jaiprasad, Retired Engineer-in-Chief, National Highways of India, R K Jaigopal, bridge expert and member of bridge standards and specifications, Indian Road Congress and S P Somashekhar, Project Director, NHAI, were among those who conducted the inspection in the presence of BDA Commissioner Rakesh Singh and Engineer Member B S Shivakumar from 11.40 am to 2.20 pm. The flyover was commissioned in 2003 but no safety audit was done till date.
Any problem at this important interchange will have terrible consequences for the city’s traffic scene as it channels most of the traffic from the city and IT corridor to north Bengaluru and Tumukuru as well as the airport. A report by STUP Consultants a couple of years ago said that an average of 84,393 vehicles take the Hebbal flyover to reach the airport, while 89,603 vehicles enter the city from this route.
The problem was stated to have occurred in a loop on the flyover built by NHAI in 2014 that connects Hebbal to K R Puram. An expert told TNIE that the pre-cast structures are connected to the concrete structure of the flyover at some points. “It shrinks over a period of time showing a gap. It is not a crack as reported widely,” he said.
A top BDA official conceded that the flyover lacked maintenance and it will be taken up on a war-footing now. These three steps will be taken up immediately: laying of pipelines so that sewage accumulated below the carriageway of the flyover from Hebbal lake will be diverted; the blockages on the weep holes on the retaining wall responsible for water discharge will be cleared so that water can exit and servicing of expansion joints and bearings will be taken up. In addition, vegetation that have grown on the piers will be cleared. “Work to lay the pipelines running to 15 metres has begun and it will be in place by Sunday,” said a BDA official.
Commissioner Rakesh Singh told TNIE, “Farmers initially did not give us permission to go ahead with the work as they are yet to be compensated for the land taken for their project. Either NHAI or the BDA need to make the payment. We have promised them it will be done,” he said.