BENGALURU: The eight-lane signal-free corridor in Okalipuram, aimed at providing seamless connectivity from the city centre to the western part of Bengaluru, is now likely to be completely ready only by March 2020. The complicated task, jointly being carried out by BBMP and the Railways, encountered massive delays after its foundation stone was laid in December 2012.
The 660-metre corridor, which aims to connect Rajajinagar-Old Mysore Road junction with Fountain Circle (Khoday Circle), had a March 2014 deadline. The project will ease movement of traffic from Vijayanagar, Basaveshwara Nagar and Magadi Road to the city centre and vice-versa, with its completely signal-free ride from Okalipuram Junction to KR Circle.
Specifying details about the project, a senior BBMP official said the corridor comprised 10 Road Under Bridges (RUB), two of which are intended only for pedestrians. “Four of the underbridges are positioned below the Bengaluru-Chennai railway line, two leading from Rajajinagar and two towards it from Fountain Circle. Four underbridges run below the Tumakuru-Bengaluru railway line, two in each direction.
There are two pedestrian underpasses too here. “They comprise four loops, one leading from the Railway ticket booking office at the station back entry to Malleswaram, and another to Fountain Circle. In the reverse direction, another loop leads from Malleswaram to the Railway booking office, and one from Rajajinagar to the booking office.”
One small portion of the project was inaugurated by former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in March 2018, but it has not helped much in easing traffic.
K C Swami, Chief Administrative Officer, Constructions, South Western Railway, told TNIE that as on date, four Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) boxes (through which the lanes pass) have been cast by the Railways and two more are yet to be done. “It is a time-consuming, complicated job as daily running traffic needs to be diverted to other roads and civil work needs to be carried out. We cannot do it all at one
go and are doing it in phases,” he said.
Asked to specify a time-frame for completion of the work, Swami said, “It will be fully in place by March 2020.”
KT Nagaraj, Major Roads, BBMP, said that major work to be done by the civic body has been completed. “Only after the boxes are completely put in place by Railways, can BBMP complete the remaining part of its work in the project,” he said.