Chief Engineer K S Krishna Reddy said the landslip happened due to dampness on the work site. However, it would not affect the progress of the work, he said.

“The lifting of soil has been done. We will prepare the concrete bed for placing the pre-cast elements. Nine elements have already been placed. The remaining 11 elements will be placed in a day. Later, we will take up asphaltation of the roads,” he said.

Mr Reddy said the height of the underpass was 4.5 metres, the highest among underpasses in the City. A Volvo bus can also pass through the underpass without difficulty, he said.

“The public will see the difference in traffic movement towards the airport once the work is completed,” he said. The movement of public has been restricted on the work site in the wake of the landslip. The Palike has taken the police’s help to keep the public away.

The Palike began the construction of the underpass on January 16, assuring the public that the construction would be completed in 72 hours.

However, water supply pipelines that opened during the digging process proved costly for the Palike in going ahead with the work. Palike Commissioner Dr S Subramanya admitted that the Palike could not finish the work as per his earlier statement and sought additional time of 10 days.