The decision of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to go ahead with its Rs. 100 crore integrated underpass project to ensure a signal-free corridor covering four junctions on Hosur Road has incensed Koramangala residents.

The busy corridor connects industrial areas in Jigani, Anekal, Bommasandra and Electronics City. A large number of inter-State buses heading to destinations in Tamil Nadu and Kerala ply on this road, which is an extension of National Highway 7.

Waiting for nodThe civic body has completed the tender process and is preparing to seek the State government’s approval. But residents complain that the project is being executed without consulting the public or taking into account the opinion of experts. They fear untold misery to residents as well as road users in future. They point to the findings of the Kaushik Mukherjee-led committee.

The proposed integrated underpass project will connect Adugodi, Koramangala 20 Main, T. Marigowda and Sarjapura junctions. Residents claim the project is “myopic” and could aggravate the traffic chaos. They point out that planners are not taking into account the Kaushik Mukherjee-led committee’s recommendations.

If the integrated underpass comes up, residents expect traffic to increase and choke at the Madiwala underpass.

“The current Chief Secretary Mr. Mukherjee (then Additional Chief Secretary) had suggested increasing the height of the Madiwala underpass and widening the service road to improve traffic movement. However, the tender does not consider these suggestions,” Nitin Seshadri, member of Koramangala Infrastructure Task Force (KITF), told The Hindu.

Secondly, residents fear that the integrated underpass will make it difficult for ambulances to access St. John’s Hospital. Also, there are several big, commercial establishments on the slip (service) road. The thousands of people who throng these every day could choke the integrated underpass and slip road, they fear.

As an alternative to the underpass, KITF submitted the design for a flyover, prepared by an independent consultant.

The flyover is meant to connect Adugodi junction to Silk Board junction and will include multiple entry and exit ramps.

A senior BBMP official said that the concept is good, but not cost-effective. “Normally, the cost of a flyover is five times that of an underpass.”

No proper approvalA senior BBMP official said that the civic body’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) had approved designs for 50 underpasses in 2009-2010, but The Hindu learnt that separate approval for the integrated underpass was not sought before the tendering process.

An official said that underpasses for 50 junctions were cleared by the TAC as part of 11 signal-free corridor projects.

Later, the four underpasses on Hosur Road were clubbed together and tenders invited, the official added.

Allaying fears of residents, the official said that the integrated underpass will be wide enough to handle the quantum of traffic seen on Hosur Road and is designed to handle water flow even during heavy rains. “The tender process is over and evaluation has been completed. We are in the process of sending the file to the State government for approval,” the official said.

The official said that civic officials would send the Mukherjee Committee’s report along with the file and let the government decide the future course of action

Source-http://www.thehindu.com