Sirsi flyover work won’t last: BBMP top engineer

BENGALURU: There is something wrong in the local civic body’s approach to resurfacing and asphalting work taken up on city roads. This is not the opinion of the public, but of engineers from Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) itself.

The oldest flyover in the city -- Sirsi Circle flyover (Balagangadhara Swamy flyover) -- is set to be resurfaced for the second time in its 19 years of existence. BBMP is taking up resurfacing work at a cost of Rs 4.3cr, over 50 days. The Palike had taken up similar work at a cost of Rs 2.8 crore, four years ago.A chief engineer from BBMP, on condition of anonymity, said that in his opinion, the ongoing work would last just four years, as no study was carried out on the flyover.

“The flyover served its purpose for 12 years, with no potholes or surface damage. The real problem started after 2012, when BBMP resurfaced the flyover. There was a defect in resurfacing work and regular bituminous concrete was used for the work. Asphalt mix is used on regular roads but not on such significant flyovers,” he said.

The Sirsi Circle flyover was constructed in 1999, and was then the longest flyover, running 2.91km, before the Electronics City tollway was constructed.

On what went wrong in the ongoing work, the engineer said, “Currently, BBMP is taking up laying of mastic sheet on the surface. But there is already a rigid surface on the flyover and BBMP wants to lay mastic sheet (ticky tar) to provide solid bondage between the surface and asphalted concrete. But this will eventually be damaged once it rains, and will later develop potholes. This is not advisable, according to Indian Road Congress guidelines, because it will not serve the purpose. Thus, the ticky tar technology that BBMP has claimed, is nothing but a waste of money,” he said.

K T Nagaraj, chief engineer, Project Central, BBMP, told TNIE, “At the proposal stage itself, we had planned for bituminous concrete, and this is what we take up on all roads of the city. Also, I did not make provision for Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA) which is much more costly for resurfacing. If a few engineers believe that SMA is ideal, then let them take it up for all asphalting work in the city, and I want to see those roads last more than 10 years. What we are currently taking up for Sirsi Circle Flyover is right, and will definitely serve its purpose,” he said.