Vehicles have begun using the railway overbridge (ROB), easing traffic flow on Murugesh Mudaliar Road (MM Road).
DH PHOTO/SK DINESH
Bengaluru: The Mosque Road overbridge, razed last year for the Bengaluru Cantonment-Whitefield quadrupling project, has been reconstructed and is having a trial run since last week.
Vehicles, including BMTC buses, have begun using the railway overbridge (ROB), easing traffic flow on Murugesh Mudaliar Road (MM Road).
Following the demolition of the ROB, MM Road faced congestion during peak hours. The old ROB was a crucial link between north and east Bengaluru, regularly used by residents of Richard’s Town, Cooke Town, and Pottery Town.
Notably, students from Clarence High School heavily relied on the overbridge, believed to have been constructed over 80 years ago during the British era.
Started in September 2022 by the South Western Railway (SWR) as part of the Bengaluru Cantonment-Whitefield quadrupling project, the reconstruction aimed to accommodate the third and fourth lines of the Bengaluru-Chennai track.
The reconstructed ROB features a 30-meter bowstring girder with a 7.50-meter wide carriage way and 1.50-meter wide footpaths on either side, costing an estimated Rs 15 crore.
While the road is currently open for a trial run, official opening dates are yet to be finalised, an SWR official said.
Mixed response
Residents are not actually thrilled about the reconstructed railway overbridge (ROB) since a narrow two-way carriageway has now been made into a one-way thoroughfare, resulting in instances of motorists travelling in the wrong direction.
“Since it is one way, commuters taking Clarke Road to MM Road are going through the overbridge in the wrong direction, risking accidents,” said Saud Dastagir, a local resident. Though the quality of the road is good, the finishing is poor, he added.
Another resident, Nikhat Aman, pointed at unmet promises from the SWR, including the closure of an underpass and the replanting of trees felled for the project. She told DH that the underpass serves little purpose for residents and has become a gathering spot for smokers and ganja users.
Responding to concerns over the closure of the opening to Clarke Road, an official told DH: “The ROB was reconstructed as per the General Arrangement Drawing (GAD) approved by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Original vehicular movement has been retained in the ROB.”