BENGALURU: While the city and its government tussle over the `1,791-crore steel flyover, City Express finds a flyover that has been lying abandoned for years.
The incomplete construction has been progressing and stalling over the last four years in Hennur. With dust settling over it and slow-moving traffic around it, the flyover looks forlorn.
The local residents are bristling though, with anger. They have witnessed its neglect day in and out and are demanding that the authorities complete this project before they take on other and extravagantly expensive projects.
This project was started in 2009 and was to have been completed in 18 months at a cost of `55 crore. It was stalled in 2012 because there were land-acquisition troubles and the work was revived this year with the Bangalore Development Authority promising its completion by November this year. But when CE spoke to K J George, Minister for Bengaluru Development and Town Planning, he extended that to January 2017. But he seemed confident that this deadline would be met.
People who use the intersection everyday, for whom the flyover would’ve come as a boon, are most concerned about the wastage of public money. “The cost of construction would be increasing day by day,” says Sai Pavan, a software engineer from Kothanur, “I guess it would’ve doubled now. Ultimately the public suffer because it is our money going to waste.”
Rajini M, an auto driver, uses this stretch frequently. “We are paying road tax to get better facilities but the authorities are simply wasting our money,” she says. “They should complete the flyover as quickly as possible.” The constant traffic jams are a bane. “It is a busy stretch,” she says.
Another auto driver, Shiva KS, agrees and adds that the structure has only added to their roubles. “In the past, it was very easy to commute via this road,” says this resident of Lingarajapuram. “Now the pillars are eating into the little space this road affords. We face a lot of traffic chaos under the flyover. The authorities should act immediately.”
Kamlesh Rao, a motorist from Hennur Cross, says that the commuters can use the structure with a small modification. “The authorities have almost completed the work, they can quickly add a ramp and open the flyover to the public. Then, we can avoid the busy junction on Outer Ring Road.”
A retired government doctor BM Gopal has been watching its progress closely. “We have heard many promises, but the work progresses slowly. Now we find a few construction workers tinkering away on it but it seems to be an eyewash, for the public to think that bridge is being constructed.”
While speaking to City Express, Minister George says that the work will be completed by January. He admits that there had been problems initially and they were with regard to land acquisition.
“But we have recently sorted that out,” he says.
“We have aquired all the required land, including that of a small temple in the neighbourhood and have provided them an alternative location. We will be done with the work by January.” The BDA’s engineering department too sounds optimistic. “We have sorted out all the land acquisition problems,” says P N Nayak BDA Engineering Member.
“Now we can begin other works such as laying electrical cables and construction of drains. We will start construction of ramps as soon as possible. In addition, we have received `12 crore, which was needed for the work.”