NHAI seeks more time to reopen flyover

Hameed Ashraf | NT

Bengaluru: There seems to be no respite for commuters travelling on the Goraguntepalya to Nelamangala stretch on Tumakuru Road flyover in Bengaluru. A team of experts from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), who inspected the bridge which has been closed for repairs since December 25, said it may remain shut for some more time. “The Goraguntepalya flyover is known as the gateway to Bengaluru and nearly two lakh vehicles from 22 districts of Karnataka and neighboring states use the stretch to enter and exit the city. To control the traffic, around 50 traffic cops have been deployed for most part of the day between Parle toll plaza and Goraguntepalya junction. “Traffic on Outer Ring Road (ORR), Eighth Mile Junction and Hessarghatta Road has increased as the flyover conyinues ti remain closed for over 40 days,” Peenya traffic police said.

Now the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) wants the traffic to be diverted to the main lanes to carry out inspection.

The NHAI chief engineer M.K. Wathore said, “Several final inspections, including load testing, have to be conducted by the agencies including IIT, Chennai, as a last procedure to ensure the bridge is completely safe. But we will have to divert the traffic before we start the inspection”.

Expressing displeasure, Dasarahalli MLA R Manjunath wrote to the Regional Officer of NHAI and the Director of Planning. “Traffic on the bridge has been blocked since December 25 last year due to technical difficulties in the 102nd and 103rd pillars. But it’s been a month but the work is not yet over. The NHAI had informed traffic police that the work will be completed in seven days initially. The NHAI has not been able to meet this deadline,” the letter read.

The movement of ambulances that take seriously ill patients and those who are severely injured in accidents are disrupted.