Four days after announcing the extension of the proposed steel flyover, the Bangalore Development Authority has released a ‘integration plan’ showing how the metal bridge will pass over the Hebbal flyover.
According to the original proposal, the steel bridge was to end at the foot of Hebbal flyover, but the government later decided to extend it by 300 metres beyond Hebbal flyover, just short of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) flyover.
Earlier, the BDA had announced that the steel bridge would connect the NHAI flyover, but dropped the idea after the NHAI officials raised objections. The steel flyover will have a split carriageway near the Yamaha showroom on Ballari Road and run parallel to Hebbal flyover on both sides. It will land on the national highway before the NHAI flyover.
Sources in the BDA said the height of the steel bridge will be at least 12 feet above Hebbal flyover. Since its length has now been extended, the cost of the project will escalate further, the sources added. “The cost is yet to be assessed but it is surely going to increase,” they added.
Attempts by DH to reach BDA Commissioner Rajkumar Khatri and BDA Engineering Member P N Nayak were in vain. NHAI Project Director D Srinivasulu Naidu said the BDA continues to maintain secrecy about the project which involves the national highway.
“Till now, the BDA has not informed us about the project. We did not have any meeting with them (BDA),” said Naidu. He said a meeting with the BDA was necessary to sort out various issues such as the traffic pattern and any possible accident zones as a result of the new flyover on the national highway. When pointed out that the steel flyover was ending 300 metres before the NHAI flyover, he said, “We don’t have any problem if the steel flyover ends 300 metres before.”