JOIN USAmid the public outcry against the steel flyover, the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA), with police protection, has begun conducting soil tests for the 6.7-km-long elevated road.
The steel flyover will have 284 piers and five test piles. Engineering standards stipulate soil tests for each pillar and pier. This means that soil tests will be conducted at 289 points, a BDA official said. Soil tests are being carried out with the help of L&T, the company which won the contract for the Rs 1,800-crore project, the official said. The activity started two days ago.
“We cannot fix a time frame for completing soil tests as the stretch between Ballari Road and Basaveshwara Circle has heavy traffic. We are being extremely cautious and are not rushing it through. There are public utilities on the stretch and we do not want any more adverse public reaction by damaging them,” the official added.
The official explained that soil tests are part of the flyover construction. Ideally, they are done in two stages: one before the tenders are called and another before construction starts.
“According to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), there is an interim injunction on the flyover construction, but there is no stay on pre-construction work. So, we started soil tests. Soil tests are being carried out for the north-south elevated corridor, too. The BDA can undertake all other pre-construction works,” the official said.
On December 20, 2016, the NGT permitted soil tests and other pre-construction activities for the steel flyover, emboldening the BDA and the state government. “Once the NGT has given permission, there is no going back. The next date of hearing is January 18 and we hope that by this time, partial soil tests will be completed and the report could be submitted to the tribunal.”