Hebbal flyover revamp to restart in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: The revamp of the perennially jampacked Hebbal flyover by Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), which was stopped completely in April 2019, is finally set to restart. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Wednesday gave the BDA the green signal after it agreed to go back to its original plan of carrying out numerous infra works only on the first level of the flyover. It has given up its plans to build at the second level.

A top BDA official said two lanes will be built in the direction from the airport towards the city only on the first level apart from an underpass. “People entering the city from the airport, who face massive congestion at the Hebbal flyover presently as well as those coming from Yelahanka, Doddaballapur, Jakkur, Doddaballapur, Gauribidanur, Sahakar Nagar, Coffee Board Layout and surrounding areas will benefit from this.”

BMRCL had made the BDA stop work in 2019 apprehensive of the new structures posing issues for its two separate Metro lines which would pass above and beyond the flyover. The State’s High Powered Committee held two meetings this year (April 28 and September 12) with all  agencies to break the deadlock over the issue.

TNIE has a copy of the order issued by BMRCL which states that the Phase-3 Metro on Outer Ring Road West up to Kempapura across Hebbal flyover and Phase-3A Metro from Sarjapur to Hebbal go beyond Hebbal flyover. “All the structures, including widening of the existing flyover and loops and ramps for different directions, should be provided only at Level-1, below or at the end of the existing flyover. The proposed underpass should be planned taking into consideration the alignment and piers of Phase-3 Metro,” it stressed.

PJB Constructions Pvt Ltd was awarded the contract for Rs 80 crore and BDA had already released Rs 25 crore to it. “The foundation work for the project was completed before work was ordered to be stopped,” explained another BDA source. “There will be some cost escalation due to the three-year gap and we will be paying that to the contractor. But work can start shortly,” he added.