Bengaluru Steel flyover: Don't need it, have metro

Bengaluru: The Supreme Court’s refusal to stay the construction of a steel flyover at Shivananda Circle has come as a huge disappointment to the people of the area as they don’t think it will serve any purpose now that the Metro green line has taken away much of the traffic at the spot.

While refusing to act on the PIL filed by citizen activist, B.P. Mahesh, who argued that the project was unscientific and was taken up without consulting the public or other stakeholders, the Supreme Court left it to the Karnataka High Court to take a decision in the matter.

But its order has not been well received by local residents.  Ms Chitra Venkatesh, secretary of the Kumar Park West Resident Welfare Association, says there is traffic no jam at all on the stretch where the flyover  is being planned even during the peak hours. “Then why are they building it here?” she demands, adding the traffic in the area has reduced considerably after the inauguration of the Metro’s green line.

Although the BBMP has begun work on the steel flyover and an officer attached to the project, reveals it could be complete in a year ,  the people are now pinning their hopes on the high court coming to their rescue and putting a stop to it.

Says Ms Chitra, “In a way it is good that the Supreme Court has directed the high court to look into the case as it will now have to give its verdict in a time frame.”

Several residents believe that  broadening the road under the railway under-bridge near Shivananda Circle is a far better idea than introducing a steel monster in their midst. The high court is expected to hear the petition this week.