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    5 infrastructure nightmares that remain undelivered

    Synopsis

    No infrastructure project in the recent past has run into as much opposition as the proposed 6.7-km steel flyover that the Bangalore Development Authority.

    ET Bureau
    Five projects that not only did not deliver what they promised but have become infrastructure nightmares and testimonials to our planners' shortsighted solutions

    No infrastructure project in the recent past has run into as much opposition as the proposed 6.7-km steel flyover that the Bangalore Development Authority wants to build to improve connectivity to the airport. The project was cleared by the Cabinet recently , soon after KJ George returned as City Development Minister. The “monstrosity“ as it has been termed, will decimate 812 trees between Hebbal and Basaveshwara Circle, as well as gobble up open spaces around the Balabrooie Guest House (3,171 sqm) and Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium (2,920 sqm). Civil society groups are up in arms and thousands of citizens have signed two separate petitions against the flyover.Authorities argue the structure will reduce surface congestion at Basaveshwara Circle by 62% and Mekhri Circle by 59%, but promises on infrastructure projects made in the past have turned out to be farcical.

    The Flyover Basavanagudi Never Wanted
    Over 70 century-old trees were chopped for the flyover at the National College circle (Vani Vilas circle), the city's sixth flyover.Opposition was so strong that residents filed two public interest litigations against it on the grounds that it the grounds that it was not feasible technically and eco nomically . They ar gued that traffic density at the junc tion did not warrant a flyover in the first place. The PILs were dismissed and then Chief Minister Dharam Singh inaugurated the four-lane 405.30-metre road.

    Activist VK Somashekhar, who was part of the National College Flyover Action Committee -which comprised freedom fighter HS Doreswamy -believes the flyover was a waste of public money . That there is hardly any traffic on it vindicates the citizens' opposition, he says. “If at all traffic was a problem here, they could have widened the road a little,“ he says. The flyover has restricted access to educational institutions like National College, Jain College, VV Puram College, KIMS and SSVM, he said. “We can see that more vehicles take the road below the flyover. But our views were overruled.“

    The erstwhile BMP claimed the flyover would save fuel consumption for the public by `57 lakh every year.

    India's Most Outstanding Bridge
    'Art for art sake' best explains this engineering marvel.

    KR Puram's cable-stayed bridge was inaugurated by then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The 230m-long structure bagged the most outstanding national bridge award by the Indian Institution of Bridge Engineers in 2009.

    Pity, the bridge did not align with the growing city's plans.

    The KR Puram junction, also known as Tin Factory , is the main converging point for vehicles coming from Hebbal, Old Madras Road and also vehicles com ing from the KR Puram bridge to wards ITPB. “Its more of an engi neering show piece,“ urban commute expert Sanjeev Dyammanavar said.The Hebbal flyover, he said, is wellplanned as it allows movement towards both KR Puram and Tumakuru Road. “ Accessibility is missing. It's fine if you want to go to Kolar and Nayandahalli but while returning there is no left turn towards Marathahalli.“

    Instead of a hanging bridge, pillars could have enabled building an 8-lane road here, he said. Things could get worse with the Metro all set to connect Silk Board and KR Puram. On top of this, the government has proposed a 6-lane flyover at Tin Factory estimated to cost `600 crore.

    The Magic of Being Buried Alive
    The BBMP vowed to construct the magic box near Cauvery theatre in 72 hours. It was completed 35 days later, at a cost of `1.5 crore in February 2008. It was a few months before the international airport was inaugurated. With a 3.5m width, the cavelike underpass made with precast boxes has not served its purpose of allowing linear movement for vehicles going from the junction towards Mekhri Circle. Bengalureans who are claustrophobic make it a point to avoid it. Its design has, in fact, brought speed to under 10 kmph and forced vehicles to take a U-turn above it.

    “The magic box has intercepted a direct route to the airport, causing huge jams till Basaveshwara Circle,“ traffic advisor to government MN Sreehari said.“Then municipal commissioner S Subramanya was warned about its drawbacks, like water logging during rains. It is opened and closed intermittently . It'll have to be removed if the steel flyover comes, leading to a bigger mess.“ The traffic police had shut down the “unscientific“ underpass in May this year, before reopening it last month. The reason for the temporary closure: Ironically for easing traffic flow towards the airport.

    The Magnificent Seven
    A split flyover is one that has two separate arms for traffic coming from each direction. The BDA constructed seven of them on the Outer Ring Road at HSR Layout 14th main, Agara, Bellandur, Devara bisanahalli, Mahadevapura, Kalyan Nagar and Veeranapalya. This came with a promise to introduce bus rapid transit on the lane below the split flyovers. But it never happened, resulting in a motorist's nightmare.

    “It has become dangerous. At Agara junction, for instance, there's the Sarjapur main road from Koramangala side merging right underneath this flyover. Our planners didn't think of this,“ said Pawan Mulukutla, manager, urban transport, at WRI India.Each flyover cost 60-70% more because “what could have been two lanes together is one flyover for each lane,“ he said. “The flyovers have blocked access for local residents, leaving them with narrow side lanes.“ When the Metro comes to ORR, the cost will shoot up as it will have to go over these flyovers.“The lanes available now will go. And given that the lanes are just 3m wide, they are good enough for buses to ply .“

    Richmond Circle Flyover
    One of Bengaluru's earliest fly overs, the Richmond Circle fly over was a part of former Chief Minister SM Krishna's dream of turning Bengaluru into Singapore. The city's future lay in such small flyovers, he had said. The flyover went on to gain the dubious distinction of being, perhaps, the only flyover in the country (or, anywhere) which had traffic lights (for some time). Its movable divider (a few stones) even inspired the popular film U-turn.

    After a decade and a half of its exis tence, authorities are yet to figure how to make the best use of this structure.

    “Back when it was made, the city had 12 lakh vehi cles. Now the city has much more than 50 lakh. Has the flyover helped?
    Yes. But that does not change that fact that it is not a well-designed flyover,“ said A Balakrishna Hegde, MD of Chartered Housing. A flyover should distribute traffic and not pick it up on one side and drip it on the other, the former president of Credai, Bengaluru, who lives on Richmond Road and has seen the flyover take shape, said. “It should've been made 2-way towards Mission Road and Double Road with down ramps for Rajaram Mohan Roy Road, Richmond Roads and Lavelle Road.“


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