BENGALURU: The much-awaited underpass to ease traffic on HAL, Marathahalli and Suranjan Das Road at HAL Junction will be completed by December. According to BBMP officials, the project was delayed by one-and-a-half months after silt and clay got deposited at the underpass following heavy rain. Now the process of erecting boxes and stitching is going on one side, and it is likely to be completed in the next 10 days.
The 2.90-metre-length underpass will ease traffic. People going from Old Airport towards Marathahalli or vice versa will not have to wait at any signal. Vehicles coming from Marathalli side and entering Suranjan Das Road will get a free left turn.
“We wanted to finish the project and throw it open to the public by Deepavali. But an earthmover and a crane got stuck in the clay and silt, slowing down the works. Also, there was water accumulation at the bottom and the contractor had to wait till it percolated down to resume the work,” said an official, who was at the site monitoring the works.
Confirming the deadline for completing the Rs 19 crore project, BBMP Chief Engineer Lokesh M said, “After initial hiccups, the project started two years ago and the Palike managed to get 3,100 sq mt of additional space through transferable development rights (TDR) from HAL. Now in 40 to 50 days, the underpass work will be over completely.”
Asked whether the new stretch could develop a sinkhole after such an occurrence near Kundalahalli, BBMP officials said the sinkhole was on the service road and not at the underpass.
The sinkhole formed because of a water leakage in a Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board pipeline and the issue was fixed the same day. It will not happen at the HAL underpass as issues have been addressed, they added.