BENGALURU: For over two years now, the Cauvery Junction Underpass — popularly known as “Cauvery Magic Box” — has remained closed for motorists during peak hours on most days. Considering that it has not served its purpose, the traffic police department has requested the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to either demolish it or improve it.
A senior traffic police official said: “We have made multiple requests. Even when it was being constructed, we had pointed out that it was a futile exercise. But our opinion was not considered. Now despite the structure, it is closed and the traffic movements are manually controlled by traffic police. We are forced to close it down during peak hours and open it during non-peak hours or holidays when traffic is sparse as its functioning causes traffic jams.”
The official added that the flyover at Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) junction is another major cause for traffic jams on the stretch. “We have suggested to the BBMP to demolish or at least improve the Cauvery Magic Box. But nothing is being done. Due to increasing traffic volumes, traffic congestion is increasing at Mekhri Circle and the junction improvement works, which are presently being carried out, will be futile. The entire stretch needs to be looked upon holistically,” the traffic police official added.
The purpose of the underpass, constructed in 2008 at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore, was to ease traffic movement to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), and that in the underpass’ abutting upscale residential area of Sadashivanagar as well as at the next major junction on the way to the airport, Mekhri Circle.
It may be recollected that the underpass was closed down eight years after its construction in 2016 for a duration of about five months, only to be re-opened in September 2016 when the state government decided to take up construction of the 6.9 Km steel flyover, which did not see the light of day due to public opposition to it. The magic box has ever since been closed down multiple times due to water-logging during heavy rains.
Former BBMP Chief Commissioner, who is now BBMP Administrator, Tushar Girinath, said the underpass has been closed by the traffic police department, not the BBMP. There is no problem from the BBMP about the site, he said, adding that there are engineering problems with the structure, which need to be addressed. “We cannot remove it. If we remove it there will be more problems. It is a utility which will come in use in the future. We have to see all the pros and cons,” he said.
A senior BBMP official admitted that the underpass — the detailed project report of which the state government approved in 2008 — does not adhere to the Indian Road Congress standards. The official admitted that the demolition of the Cauvery Magic Box would be ideal — which his seniors in BBMP do not support.
Why is it called Magic Box?
It was called as Magic Box as it was looked as a quick fix solution for the traffic jams on Ballari Road. The BBMP had then planned to construct it in 72 hours using pre-cast technology, but took three months to build it. It connects traffic moving from Sankey Tank towards airport road standing near Cauvery Theatre spread to a length of 3.5 metres. It was City’s first pre-cast technology structure. Interestingly for the underpass, rules were not followed during construction. The project was executed even before the detailed project report was finalised. The BBMP prepared the DPR and sent it to Urban Development Department in May 2028 for approval when the underpass inaugurated in February 2008, an official said.