Work on Hebbal flyover picks up pace as government assures funds

BENGALURU: With the state government agreeing to an “in-principle”funding of Rs 145 crore for the signal-free loop and underpass at the Hebbal flyover, work on the project finally seems to be picking up momentum. The pace of work had slowed down considerably due to lack of funds to pay the contractor, with the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) even giving up on it and urging the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to take over the project.  

A senior BDA official told The New Indian Express that the government recently asked BDA to implement the project and orally assured funding for it from the amount earmarked for the Nagarothana Scheme of the BBMP. The interaction happened during a closed door meeting at Belagavi when the Assembly session took place recently, he said.  

Contractor PJB Engineering Pvt Ltd was entrusted with the project, which has been given an extended deadline of June 2019.An official said the assurance of compensation by the government had made the contractor speed up the work. “There are 43 piers on the proposed loop which require 168 piles (foundation structures). A total of 156 piles have been completed. Eight piers too have been readied,” said an official overseeing the work.   

TNIE had published a report a month ago on the slow pace of work being carried out by the contractor due to non-payment of dues to the tune of ‘25 crore for the various projects it has carried out.The BDA had requested the government to provide it Rs 145 crore, which includes Rs 87.02 crore for the loop running to a length of 1.19 km and width of 7 metres with two carriage ways. It runs from Esteem Mall to Bangalore Baptist Hospital. An underpass will run below Tumukuru Road towards KR Puram. The uni-directional, signal-free loop will help in speeding up movement of vehicles in the direction of KR Puram from the airport and will benefit residents of Kodigehalli, Sahakar Nagar, Yelahanka, Dollars Colony and neighbouring areas.  

The cost estimate presented by BDA also includes Rs 7.98 crore for maintenance of the flyover and an additional Rs 50 crore for a second loop from KR Puram to the airport.It is set to become operational by December 2019, six months beyond its new deadline.