4-km stretch of Chord Road gets seventh grade separator

Travellers are set for a seamless ride on a four-km stretch of Chord Road, which got its seventh grade separator on Sunday.

This is the only thoroughfare in Bengaluru that has got two underpasses and five flyovers within such a short distance — between Magadi Road (toll gate) and the Rajajinagar metro station.

On Sunday, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai inaugurated a 755-metre flyover located at the intersection of the 72nd crossroad and Basaveshwaranagar main road.

The newly constructed flyover is expected to provide a seamless commute between Hosahalli and Sandal Soap Factory metro stations. Commuters will have to wait only near the Mahalakshmi Layout signal.

The project, costing Rs 76 crore, was embroiled in a controversy as the BBMP had started off the work, anticipating approval from the state government. When the Urban Development Department (UDD) insisted on floating tenders, the BBMP was forced to hand over the half-done work from one contractor to another.

It is, however, not sure how the BBMP reconciled the completed portions and paid the related amount to a contractor who hasn’t done that work. It is also unclear how the civic body managed to keep the firm, which did the initial work, silent during this process.

These developments, however, send a strong signal of a contractor collusion and proxy bidding, which is illegal as per the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act.

5 flyovers, 2 underpasses

Overall, the short stretch of Chord Road has seven grade separators.

Other than the newly inaugurated flyover, the BBMP had recently built three flyovers as part of the state government-funded signal-free corridor project, which was commissioned in 2016 and modified in 2019. These four flyovers have, however, gone through a cost escalation of up to 50% of the tendered amount.

While Manjunath Nagar (Rs 18 crore) and Basaveshwaranagar flyovers (Rs 22 crore) were thrown open in 2018-19, the BBMP completed the Rs 72-crore flyover in Shiva Nagar in October 2021.

There are two underpasses — one at the toll gate across Magadi Road and another at Star Circle — that were built long ago. One more flyover is situated adjacent to the Rajajinagar metro station.

While these infrastructure works are expected to enable smooth travel along Chord Road, there is concerns about vehicles clogging the internal roads.