By: Pavan Kumar Pateel
BENGALURU: After seeing three governments and as many chief ministers besides four mayors, the steel flyover at Shivananda Circle will be ready by August-end.
Currently, 85% of work on the 493-metre-long flyover is over. While all girders have been erected, one slab is being cast and the up and down ramps are being built. Fifteen of the 16 pillars are ready. According to BBMP officials, a 700mm water pipeline that had to be shifted delayed work on the 16th pillar.
The road needs to be repaired on both sides of the flyover. After that’s done, it will be opened to the public in a phased manner, officials said. BBMP chief commissioner Gaurav Gupta inspected the project progress on Monday. “It was delayed for multiple reasons. Water and sewer pipes had to be shifted, which took close to three months. Initially, the project was under litigation and later the flyover length was increased. Approval for the revised project cost took time. However, the work will be completed in a month,” Gupta told TOI.
The flyover was initially meant to be 326-metre long. With the increased length and the delay, project cost shot up from Rs 19.8 crore to Rs 39.5 crore. Congress functionary Padmavathi G, who was Bengaluru mayor when the foundation stone was laid in 2017, blamed officers’ negligence for the delay. “We did get enough funds to complete the project in time. Though the court resolved the issue, officers did not show much interest,” she said.
