Caught in a Limbo: Delays plague R.R. Nagar flyover and underpass projects, commuters bear the brunt

Much similar past year, 2 important projects aimed astatine decongesting West Bengaluru’s R.R. Nagar person not moved an inch, portion 1 long-neglected task has yet been revived. Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai laid the instauration chromatic for each 3 projects successful 2022. Since then, residents of the country haven’t received thing much than mendacious promises from the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and, now, the West City Corporation.

The 2 untouched projects are the Rajarajeshwari Nagar arch ramps and the Annapoorneshwari Nagar junction underpass, intended to easiness postulation travel connected Mysuru Road successful the occidental portion of the city. Three years aft enactment connected these projects began, determination has been negligible progress, followed by a implicit halt. In contrast, enactment connected the Ullal junction underpass, which had been stalled for 3 years, resumed past period and is present progressing slowly.

However, officials of the West City Corporation look to person small clarity connected the presumption of these projects. Despite sustained attempts implicit 2 days to interaction the Chief Engineer overseeing the projects, determination was nary response.

R.R. Nagar arch flyover

The task involves the operation of 2 ramps: 1 connecting Kenchanahalli Road to Mysuru Road, spanning 305 metres, and different linking University Circle with Vrishabhavati Valley, moving 350 metres. Taken up astatine an estimated outgo of ₹71.45 crore, the task was scheduled for completion by July 2024, but has since been delayed.

The flyover was planned to payment residents of Rajarajeshwari Nagar, BEML Layout, Banashankari 6th Stage, Channasandra, and Uttarahalli, portion besides facilitating a signal-free junction astatine the R.R. Nagar arch connected Mysuru Road.

At present, lone a fewer pillars person been completed. Just 1 pillar has been erected astatine the crushed level adjacent the turn-off towards Nayandahalli connected Mysuru Road. This shoddy execution has go an eyesore for commuters.

The technologist who spoke to The Hindu said they had taken complaint of the task lone astir a period agone and had constricted cognition of its progress. He, however, attributed the hold to onshore acquisition issues.

Arun Kumar, a nonmigratory of R.R. Nagar and an worker of a backstage firm, said the R.R. Nagar Arch junction connected Mysuru Road is simply a large bottleneck. He pointed retired that residents had already endured years of postulation disruption owing to metro construction.

“Again, for the past 3 years, astir of our clip has been wasted successful postulation due to the fact that of the flyover work. The authorities should not torture radical by repeatedly claiming that flyovers are being built for nationalist benefit,” helium said.

Delay successful underpasses

On Ullal Road, enactment was stalled owing to onshore acquisition issues and the request to fell trees wrong the Jnanabharathi field of Bangalore University. Work resumed a period ago, and the single-line people separator from Nagarabavi to Bangalore University has since been completed.

Currently, enactment is nether mode connected the remaining lanes. “It is pleasing that the enactment has resumed. However, advancement is slow. As a result, postulation congestion astatine this junction is severe, with vehicles getting stuck for kilometres during highest hours,” said Girish M.C., a nonmigratory of Visvesvaraya Layout.

In contrast, enactment connected the Annapoorneshwari Nagar junction underpass has travel to a implicit standstill. The 496-metre underpass, estimated to outgo ₹29.16 crore, remains unfinished. The half-completed operation has go overgrown with bushes, with nary disposable signs of activity, giving it the quality of an abandoned site.

“This Outer Ring Road stretch, which connects Kengeri and Magadi Road, houses respective acquisition institutions. Thousands of students commute done the Annapoorneshwari Nagar junction each day,” said Rajendra Prasad, a nonmigratory of the area.

The technologist quoted earlier told The Hindu that the hold was owing to difficulties successful acquiring onshore belonging to an acquisition instauration on the road, an contented that has present been resolved. “We request to demolish the institution’s compound partition for the project, which volition beryllium done successful the adjacent fewer days. The enactment volition resume wrong 15 days,” helium said, though helium declined to supply a tentative deadline for completing the project.

While commuters person borne the brunt of these delays for years, the projects are progressively being seen arsenic victims of governmental entanglements and civic assemblage negligence alternatively than specified onshore acquisition hurdles. During the ongoing Winter Session, R.R. Nagar MLA N. Munirathna sought an update connected the stalled projects without formally submitting a question. Responding to the impromptu query, Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar said helium would person provided details had the MLA raised a ceremonial question connected the projects.

(This is the 4th of a multi-part series)