Ejipura flyover construction to resume after years of delays and termination of contract

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The construction of the Ejipura flyover in Bengaluru has faced significant delays, with six different chief ministers overseeing the project since its initiation almost 6 years ago in 2017.

The government terminated the contract last year due to financial issues with the original contractor.

These chief ministers include Siddaramaiah, BS Yediyurappa, HD Kumaraswamy, Yediyurappa again, Basavaraj Bommai, and now Siddaramaiah again.

Due to the protracted delays and challenges, the government terminated the contract last year. The BBMP is now preparing to recommence construction through a different company.

According to a Palike official, a work order will be issued to the new contractor within a week, and work is expected to begin within 15 days, as confirmed by M Lokesh, the chief engineer for projects at BBMP.

In 2017, BBMP gave the construction contract for the 2.5km flyover to Simplex Infrastructure during Siddaramaiah's tenure as the head of the Congress government.

However, the firm faced financial difficulties and could not complete the project in accordance with the contract's terms and conditions. The work came to a standstill after approximately 50% completion, and efforts to revive the project proved unsuccessful.

Consequently, in March 2022, the government decided to terminate the contract. During this period, social media posts regarding the project's progress and issues became widespread.

Citizens expressed concerns about when the project would be completed, questioned the structural stability of the pillars, raised issues about the road median turning into a dumping ground, and even dubbed the flyover a 'heritage structure.'

As the new government proposed the construction of a 109km tunnel network to alleviate congestion, many citizens criticised the government for embarking on ambitious mega projects while the completion of the relatively small Ejipura flyover faced prolonged delays.

In response to these concerns, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy clarified that building a mass transit system using the existing structure was not a feasible option.

The previous plan to construct the flyover on this stretch remains in place, and the project is expected to be completed within one and a half years.