Bumpy takeoffs and hard landings

A steel flyover from Minerva Circle has been approved, one among a slew of proposed flyovers. Authorities, however, show very little enthusiasm towards maintaining the ones that do exist: these are full of potholes and have even begun to develop cracks in the concrete. The BBMP, whose responsibility it is, has passed the buck onto the traffic police, saying they are awaiting permisison to begin work. What are authories waiting for to fix these structures, asks Aknisree Karthik

It’s a  nightmare for people out driving on the roads in the city today.  Sadly, they don’t get a break even on its flyovers, which are filled with potholes just like its roads. You would think the BBMP, which often blames the  contractors laying the roads for their poor maintenance, would find it hard to pass the buck similarly when it came to flyovers which it is directly in charge of  maintaining along with the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA).  

But you may have reckoned without taking its ingenuity into account. Ask Mayor Sampath Raj what is stopping the BBMP from filling the potholes on flyovers and asphalting them and he finds a scapegoat in the city traffic police. “We are ready to fill the potholes and have done it on some flyovers. We also want to asphalt them. But the traffic police has not granted us permission to do this  to avoid congestion on the roads below. We will do it once we get the permission,” he assures.

The vague answer doesn’t leave much room for hope.  While the flyovers are meant to improve traffic flow, their potholes make the ride anything but smooth. Things get even worse in rain when the flyovers get flooded, to the  surprise of commuters.

Then there is the question of cleanliness. It's common to find trash thrown on either sides of flyovers and the potted plants on their dividers  drying for lack of care

Recalls  Mr Vignesh, a regular user of the Richmond Road flyover, "Last year the flyover was closed for nearly two months for maintenance. Roads are comparably good. You can even see a Peepal tree growing from various spots of the flyover. As the tree has spread to its walls, it can be dangerous to motorists. The  officials should wake up at least now and cut the branches down and do something to see that the tree does not grow back again."

Mr Prashanth Kumar M  of Kengeri , who has been using the Sirsi Circle flyover every  day since he was a teenager, is upset at its poor condition.

"This was the first flyover of Bengaluru,  but is now in shambles. It is filled with potholes and has gravel scattered all over it, which can cause a biker to skid on it should he be driving too fast,” he observes with concern.

The waterlogging on the flyover is another problem as speeding vehicles often spray people riding below, near the Veterinary Hospital, with water. Worse, the flyover is leaking in places, according to him.

Ask Mayor Sampath Raj about the problems commuters encounter on flyovers in the city and he has a stock answer : “We have directed officials to deal with them.” Now haven’t we heard that before?  

Leaks, litter: Flyovers in bad state

• Flyovers in the city are maintained either by the BBMP or BDA
• Most are poorly  maintained and filled with potholes, which have become bigger in the recent rain.
• With rain damaging their bitumen layer , the flyovers also have gravel and tar particles scattered over them, which can cause speeding vehicles to skid.
• Many flyovers are flooded in heavy rain, showing how poorly their  their drains are maintained.
• Trees are sometimes found growing on their walls or between  two blocks of the flyovers.
• Some have damaged expansion joints,  leaks, and rubbish thrown on both sides, besides damaged railings.

‘Govt interested in new flyovers, not in maintaining the old ones’
The BBMP and the  BDA “just do not care” to maintain the flyovers they design and build in the city, says traffic expert and advisor to state government on infrastructure, Prof. M N Srihari.

They only care about opening more flyovers and not  about maintaining the existing ones in good shape, he deplores.

Stressing that at least five to 10 per cent of the cost of building a  flyover should be invested in maintaining it, he warns that otherwise its lifespan, which ranges from 50 to 100 years, will keep decreasing. “The civic bodies should depute staff to carry out the maintenance regularly. Only with periodic inspection  can  you find  if the expansion joints between two median blocks of a flyover are in good condition or not. If they are in poor shape, the vibration created by regular vehicular  movement will be passed on to the concrete, which will eventually develop cracks and lead to more damage. When vehicles cross the joints you  hear a noise. But if this noise gets very loud then the flyover is in trouble,” he explains, adding that the joints,  pillar columns , railings and surface of a flyover need regular upkeep.

As for trees growing on flyovers, he says they may be good for the environment, but not for the structure of these elevated roads as their roots could end up damaging them. “Especially trees like the Peepal have very strong and deep roots. If measures aren't taken to remove them they are sure to cause a lot of damage to the flyovers in the long run," he warns.

The problem can be overcome by use of chemicals, according to him. “But the  civic bodies need to wake up soon and do something before the trees damage the flyovers," he emphasises.

Need permission from traffic police to fix flyovers: Sampath Raj, BBMP Mayor
Q: Most flyovers in the city are in a bad shape. What are you doing about them?
A: Yes, we are aware of the problems. We have directed the officials to carry out periodic inspection and deal with them.
 
Q: Many flyovers, including the city’s very first, the Sirsi Circle flyover, are pothole- ridden. What is stopping you from filling the potholes and asphalting the flyovers ?
A: We are ready to fill the potholes and have done it on some flyovers. We also want to asphalt them. But the traffic police has not granted us permission to asphalt some of the flyovers to avoid congestion on the roads. We will do it once we get the permission.
 
Q: We see flyovers too getting waterlogged during heavy rain.
A: This may have happened during heavy rain as the drains meant to carry rain water may have been blocked by trash thrown into them. We do clean the drains during the periodic maintenance work.