No end to Hebbal flyover chaos?

NT Correspondent
Bengaluru:

The Hebbal junction has been infamous for traffic congestion. Of late, the BBMP has been taking several measures to streamline vehicular movement here, especially after the Chief Minister directed officials to take short-term measures to reduce congestion at major junctions in the city.

Plans of widening the Hebbal Flyover have been on the cards for several years now. Initially, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had planned to add loops on an additional level above the existing loops around the flyover. Columns were erected on the eastern side of the flyover to add a loop at a higher level than the existing ones. The columns and piers are still incomplete and have been left in the same state.

The plan was stalled after the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) objected to it. The BMRCL’s viaduct for the Airport line is set to pass along the Hebbal flyover, as per plans. Earlier this year, an integrated flyover was proposed, for which a plan was prepared by the Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES).

The Chief Public Relations Officer of BMRCL Yashvant Chavan said, “The Detailed Project Report prepared by RITES was published and suggestions were invited from the public. Some of them have been incorporated”. BDA Engineer Member H R Shantharajanna said that the plan needs to ensure minimum demolition of the existing ramps that connect the Outer Ring Road to the flyover. He added that land acquisition was also a challenge.

As a result of the conundrum, the fate of these pillars and piers remains uncertain. The site has thus become a glaring example of wastage of public money and a lack of long-term planning.