Hebbal flyover expansion project sees no progress

Bengaluru: The flyover expansion project designed to solve the vehicular traffic problem in the Hebbal flyover has no work progress. The project is nothing but an election campaign and voter wooing strategy for the political parties, as the administrative machinery does not seem to have the will to implement the project.

The vehicular traffic is a constant problem at the Hebbal flyover, which is the main gateway to the city, and there is a demand for the expansion of the flyover to solve the problem. Whenever the traffic problem arises seriously to the core, the government assures of the flyover expansion and later forgets its promise made to the city dwellers. The BDA always wash their hands off by claiming about the revised DPR of the project and inviting of tenders.

During the Congress government, when Siddaramaiah was the Chief Minister, in the budget of 2015-16, the construction of the underpass and the extension of the flyover at Hebbal Junction was announced. Later, about Rs 124.49 crore was spent on the work. However, the work stopped as soon as it started. Later, the plan changed many times and the work got stuck. The bureaucracy, which is delaying with the lame pretext of plan revision and redesign, is giving excuses to start the work. Even though the locals took to the streets and protested, even though the people's representatives raised their voice in the House, the time to resume the work has not come.

The police department has conducted a comprehensive study on the vehicular traffic system of the Hebbal flyover section and identified the problem at the road divider of the K R Puram loop and the main carriageway. If the vehicles coming from Nagawara are allowed to go towards the airport, the traffic problem will become more serious. The police department is of the opinion that sometimes the vehicles are lined up for kilometers.

The six-lane road narrows to almost a two-lane road with a service road. If the road below the flyover (left open after the inauguration of the flyover) can be reopened, the vehicular movement of the KR Puram route (going towards Bangalore city) can be accommodated. This will reduce the traffic pressure on the flyover. According to the police, if the vehicles coming from KR Puram side are left on the service road below the flyover, they can take a free left turn towards Hebbal.

In the past, traffic police, BDA and Ministry of Railways officials have discussed many times about allowing vehicular traffic on the railway level crossing route in order to reduce the pressure of vehicular traffic on the flyover. A grade level crossing road (across the Hebbal - Baiyappanahalli railway line) was intended to be constructed below the flyover. Railway officials who inspected the site said that it would be difficult to reopen the level crossing, which was closed a decade ago. BBMP suggested that it would be appropriate to construct an underpass instead of a grade level crossing road. Following this, the Ministry of Railways had rejected the proposal to construct a railway underpass near the flyover.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has given the green signal for the expansion of the four-lane flyover in this area. Expanding the four-lane flyover to a 10-lane flyover is the only solution to the traffic problem. Underpass construction faces many challenges. If an underpass is constructed, a separate road should be constructed to go to neighbouring houses. Land acquisition is required for this. Thus, experts argue that flyover expansion is preferable to underpass construction. The BDA had invited tenders in August for a renewed project worth Rs 225 crore for the construction of two more lanes and an underpass on the flyover. In the updated plan, BDA has announced construction of 2 new lanes and removal of 2 loops at Hebbal Junction for free movement from KIAL towards the city. A grade separator or underpass will be constructed to allow free movement on both sides from Tumkur road to K R Puram side. It does not require land acquisition. BMRCL has agreed to construct an underpass on the lower part of the flyover. The flyover will be widened and further 2 lanes will be constructed from the city towards the airport. BDA said that there is traffic congestion on the way from the airport to the city, and to facilitate the traffic, an additional 2 lanes will be constructed. Activist Sanjeev Dyamanavar in a post stated: 'Simple solution to build down ramp at Hebbal Flyover towards Mekri Circle, unfortunately none of so called govt officials want to implement simple solution in 6 months at less than Rs 20 Crore.