Celebrated as the most outstanding national bridge in 2009 by the Indian Institution of Bridge Engineers, the cable-stayed structured in the city’s K R Puram was aesthetic-heavy from all angles. Imposing, grand and visible from miles away, the bridge was destined to be one of Bengaluru’s iconic landmarks.
But then came the Outer Ring Road (ORR), a massive surge in vehicular numbers and the icon stood exposed for its glaring lack of vision, design and practicality. The architects’ decision to let all the vehicles pass through a single underpass proved a recipe for disaster.
Today, as lakhs of commuters spend hours getting across the chaotic junction, they wonder what the planners were thinking. Thousands of vehicles from Hebbal, Whitefield, Tin Factory side, Old Madras Road converge at this point, as passengers from the K R Puram Railway Station struggle with their luggages.
Frustrated by the traffic chaos at this junction, many motorists and mobility activists have demanded that the bridge be demolished and a well planned flyover be built in its place.
Built by South Western Railway over the K R Puram Railway Station Yard, the bridge spans 230 metres, including the 180m cable-stayed stretch. The bridge was formally opened for traffic on January 26, 2003 by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
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