BENGALURU: For the first time, a new road has been constructed to facilitate Underground Corridor works on Metro Phase-II. Running for 600 metres on Bannerghatta Main Road, it was thrown open to the public a week ago. Two original stretches of the road, running up to 900 metres, have now been shut for traffic. The Underground Corridor runs for 13.92 km between Dairy Circle and Nagawara on the 21-km Red Line (Nagawara-Gottigere) of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited. The underground portion will have 12 Metro stations.
A senior BMRCL official said the new road runs for 400 metres inside the Jayanagar Fire Station premises and another 200 metres on an empty land of the Labour department. “We completed the road last Friday (September 25) and opened it for traffic. It was only after ensuring the traffic could be diverted onto this stretch smoothly that on Saturday (September 26) we blocked two stretches on Bannerghatta Road. Both run in the Northern direction from Bannerghatta Road towards Dairy Circle, with one running for 600 metres and another 300 metres,” he explained.
While BMRCL has constructed decks (bridges on roads) on Cubbon Road, the upcoming Shivaji Nagar and Vellara Junction stations in the past for the UG network, it is the first time a complete road has been constructed, he added. “Unlike the usual roads in which traffic gets diverted from main roads, this is a high-quality, sturdy road which will can be used by the public for at least two-and-a-half years. After the original road is restored on completion of works, the new one will be shut and land returned to the Fire and Labour departments, he added.
At the spots where the blockade has been effected, a ramp, which is necessary to link any elevated station to an underground station, is being constructed. “The ramp will connect the Jayanagar Metro station to the Dairy Circle Metro station. It will run at a height of 16 metres and a depth of 18 metres. Two Tunnel Boring Machines will be lowered at this point to start boring from this end of the corridor to Langford Road,” he added.