Bengaluru: Koramangala is a motorist’s nightmare on any given day. But it will get scarier as the BBMP, which is known not to keep up the deadlines, has taken up a mega project in the area.
The Palike has started work on the elevated corridor project from Ejipura Circle to Kendriya Sadan near Koramangala Water Tank to ease congestion on Koramangala 100 Feet Road. The Palike has just begun the soil testing work, and already traffic is choc a block on the busy stretch. The traffic flow is likely to worsen when the civic body takes up the digging work to lay piers (pillars).
Mr Anil Kumar, president, FORWARD 68 a confederation of Resident Welfare Associations (RWA), said that though the project is aimed at decongesting traffic at Sony Signal and also Intermediate Ring Road, it will affect residents of Koramangala and surrounding areas.
“Already, residents here are feeling the brunt of traffic jams, especially during peak hours. To reach Central Business District (CBD) areas like MG Road, Brigade Road or Vidhana Soudha, which are within 5 km, the residents spend at least one hour in transit. The residents only welcome the project which causes minimum trouble to them,” he said.
“The 2.4 km elevated corridor has been taken up at a cost of Rs 200 crore and the BBMP has set a 30 month deadline. It has floated a tender for a project management consultancy firm to monitor the work quality. The project has already got the state cabinet nod. We request the BBMP to stick to the deadline and not to overshoot it putting the residents in distress,” he pleaded. The flyover will be constructed at a height of 5.5m and will reduce the travel time from Ejipura to Hosur Road by half. ”The BBMP should identify an alternative road to ensure that the traffic does not go haywire during the construction. Even for the soil test, the traffic has been badly affected. The BBMP should take precautions now,” he said.
BBMP sources said that the resident should cooperate with the civic agency for long-term gains. The four lane and bi-directional elevated corridor will have an entry ramp at St John’s Medical College and will head towards Domlur. An exit ramp will be provided near Krupanidhi College near Madiwala to divert traffic moving towards Sarjapur.
