BBMP plans to close Mysore Rd flyover for a month, seeks traffic police permission
Bengaluru: Bengaluru city’s first and one of the busiest flyovers at Sirsi Circle, popularly known Mysore Road flyover, has become a nightmare of motorists due to poor maintenance and movement of heavy vehicles.
The motorway is damaged and potholes have surfaced at many places, making it accident-prone.
BBMP has now decided to take up repairs and sought the permission of traffic police to close the flyover for period one month, the first time since it was thrown open to traffic in 1998.
The Palike is ready with the tender process of Rs 4.3 crore to fix the flyover and plans to use new road building technology. It will use tiki tar (bituminous rubber sheets) on top of which a cement concrete layer will be laid. This technology was used to asphalt Richmond Road flyover.
However, for the traffic police maintaining traffic flow will be a challenge once flyover is closed.
“It’s easy to say that flyover will be closed for one month, but for that entire one month we traffic policemen will have a tough time controlling the huge traffic flow. Most of the people who stay in South Bengaluru such as Kengeri, Vijayanagar, Nayandahalli, R.R. Nagar are used to take this road. They will have to face a nightmare for one whole month," a senior traffic police official told Deccan Chronicle on condition of anonymity.
For motorists using this road the BBMP proposal has left them worried. Lakhs of commuters use this road to travel towards the south and southern Bengaluru.
3 permissions needed
Interestingly, the 2.6-kilometre long Sirsi flyover falls under the jurisdiction of three traffic stations – V.V. Puram, K.R. Market and Chickpet. So BBMP has to get permission from the three stations.
“As is a very huge junction of traffic flow, we need to discuss with all three stations to divert the vehicle flow. We have only option to divert towards Goods Shed road, Binny Mill Road, Chamarajpet and towards City market which already witnesses heavy traffic volume. Most of the other areas have very smaller roads such as Vinakya Nagar, Bakshi Gardens. Repairing the flyover is a very good decision by BBMP, but for one month it will be painful for motorists and traffic police,” a traffic police official added.
No regular maintenance
The flyover was constructed by Larsen and Toubro (L&T) in the late 90s at a cost of Rs 97 crore and was opened to traffic in 1998. It, however, needs regular maintenance, but the BBMP has been lackadaisical. In fact, in recent years BBMP has only fixed the joints by closing the entire stretch for a week.
“BBMP can complete the work by one or two weeks but closing it for one month will be very difficult for the people,” said Manoj L., a regular commuter.
