Two TenderSURE roads may not be completed on time

The two TenderSURE projects on Modi Hospital Road and Siddaiah Puranik Road may not be completed within the deadline set by the BBMP.

BBMP officials said that only 11% of the work has been completed on Siddaiah Puranik Road and it may not be over by July-end, the deadline set by the civic body. Similarly, 74% of the work is over on Modi Hospital Road.

Granite rocks are obstructing the work at both the places. The TenderSURE roads are designed in such a manner that all ducts and utilities are below the footpath or on one side of the road.

“Shifting the utilities itself is a big challenge. Besides rock, trees are obstructing our work. We never wish to cut them, unless it becomes inevitable,” BBMP chief engineer K T Nagaraj (Projects) said. He said these two roads are part of the contract package comprising five roads. It is being executed by RNS Infrastructure Limited at a cost of Rs 61.56 crore.

Following complaints about the delay in work, Mayor G Padmavathi visited the two roads on Wednesday and took note of the difficulties faced by the Palike engineers in completing the work on time. She instructed the officials to ensure that work is speeded up as instructed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

She visited an underpass at the Housing Board-Magadi Road Junction, which is being executed at a cost of Rs 30 crore. The work, started in March 2015, was supposed to be completed in a year. But due to delay in shifting utilities and traffic diversions, the work dragged on for another year. In addition, huge rock beneath too has slowed down the work.

Speaking to reporters after inspecting the two roads, Padmavathi said the state government is upgrading the infrastructure in the city and is laying world-class roads under the TenderSURE project.