“We do not understand why this flyover was needed,” said Raghunath, who was riding a two-wheeler on Doddaballapur Road, echoing the sentiments of many residents of Yelahanka about the flyover that is being constructed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) from Yelahanka Police station junction to BWSSB junction.
The work on the flyover began over two years ago, in January 2022, and is still nowhere near completion. BBMP had allotted ₹162 crore for the project. When the project was announced, BBMP had said the work on the flyover would be completed in 18 months or even earlier. However, BBMP officials now say the flyover will be open to traffic by March 2025.
Ever since the construction of the 1.8 km flyover began, traffic movement between Rail Wheel Factory, Puttenahalli and Yelahanka Police Station junction has been severely affected. Especially on the weekends, when more people are coming to the RMZ Galleria Mall in the junction, commuters wait for at least three green signals near the NES office.
Differing views
Most residents and regular commuters said traffic movement on Doddaballapur Road was not an issue, and the flyover was not necessary. However, BBMP officials claimed by providing a signal-free path that stretches across four junctions — Yelahanka police station, NES, Seshadripuram College and Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan — travelling time will be cut down drastically.
“I have been a resident of an apartment on Doddaballapur Road for eight years. The traffic problems here began only after the work on this flyover started. On weekdays, covering 3 km between my house and the police station junction takes at least 20 minutes. They had said the project would be completed in one and a half years, but it has been two and a half years now, and it does not look like it will be over anytime soon,” lamented Bhupendra Kumar, a private employee who commutes to Mehkri Circle every day. His car had only moved a few hundred meters during the green signal and he was waiting for the next one near NES bus stop.
Sanjana R., another regular commuter from Yelahanka, said, “I have rarely seen any activity going on near the construction site in the last few months. They have just erected some pillars and barricades for so long now.”
Work at night
BBMP officials said the work on the flyover was getting delayed as most of the work had to happen at night due to heavy traffic movement on the road.
“We are already done with all the groundwork; only the superstructure is pending. As it is an urban area, we cannot block traffic. We tried to bring in traffic diversions, but that proved to be difficult and thus, now we only have to work in the night hours,” said BBMP Chief Engineer (Road Infrastructure) B.S. Prahlad. He also said mobilisation of materials and manpower has also taken time due to which construction got delayed.
“By December 31 this year, we will finish lifting off segments and in three months after that, we will finish the project,” Mr. Prahalad said.
Traffic might get worse
Bengaluru Traffic Police officials also acknowledged that the prolonged construction activity has disrupted traffic movement.
“It was worse when the project initially began as the width of the road had reduced a lot. Now, as their pillars are erected, we have asked them to place the barricades closer to the pillars so that there is more space on the road for traffic movement. Even then, when it rains traffic movement gets difficult, especially in Police Station junction and Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan junction,” said Siri Gowri, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic, North.
She added traffic movement might have to be stopped near Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan junction when the flyover’s spans must be placed. “Moreover, metro work is also expected to commence soon in the junction so that the traffic situation might get worse,” she said.
(This is the second in a series on long-pending infrastructure projects in Bengaluru)
