BENGALURU: Bengaluru Metro’s Challaghatta station on the Purple Line beyond Kengeri, which has been delayed considerably, has now encountered a new problem due to the recently inaugurated Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway. The ramp of this construction by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) lands very close to the Metro station, posing an enormous risk to pedestrians, particularly students and patients of the Rajeshwari Medical College and Hospital across, who are expected to use the station in large numbers after it commences operation.
Challaghatta Metro station is located at a distance of 1.9 km beyond the present terminating station, Kengeri.
The risk posed to pedestrians was discussed during a high-level meet convened recently between the Public Works department, the NHAI and the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited.
A top Metro official said, “The expressway was hurriedly completed to facilitate the PM’s launch last month. Only after it was done, we learnt that it comes very close to our station. Vehicles zoom in at great speed in the unidirectional road just in front of the station making it very risky for anyone wanting to reach the station. We are now working out a solution to ensure the safety of our commuters. Construction of a foot-over bridge below the expressway to connect both sides of the road is the solution BMRCL has in mind now.”
TNIE visited the Challaghatta station and found the civil works almost completed with a bus bay getting ready near the station. “System works (Traction, Signalling) have commenced and this would take upto 2.5 months to be completed. After that trial runs and clearance by Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety need to take place. By July, we will definitely be able to run trains here,” another official said.
The completion of the station got delayed as the same contractor carrying out system works here was also doing it for the K R Puram-Whitefield line. “Since the Whitefield line had to be launched on priority, all resources were diverted there delaying work at this station. Work is on at a brisk pace now,” explained an anonymous source.
The extension upto Challaghatta station is expected to greatly benefit the future residents of Bangalore Development Authority's Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout with an underpass and access road in the offing to connect to the station.