Flyover work stalled over dues to contractor

Non-payment of dues to the contractor has delayed works on the Sirsi Circle flyover, resulting in traffic woes.

Motorists are frustrated over the slow pace and extended deadlines, since just one side of the road from Town Hall to Mysuru Road is open and work on the other side is kept pending for the past two months.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike began asphalting of the flyover last December.

The Sirsi Circle flyover, also called the Bala Gangadhara Swami flyover, links Mysuru Road with the city centre and was the first-ever flyover to be built. The civic body hoped to complete the work on Mysuru Road to Town Hall by March 15.

“The BBMP hasn’t repaired the stretch for the past one month,” said Santhosh Kumar, a resident of Rajarajeshwari Nagar.

“The delay is causing traffic snarls on the stretch. It is scary to ride near the City Market, where slabs on the flyover wobble whenever there’s heavy vehicular movement,” Kumar said.

The BBMP is resurfacing the flyover at a cost of Rs 4 crore, the second time the work is taken up since 1999. The repairs done in 2012 lasted for just five years, as potholes and wobbling joints have made the flyover a potential accident spot in recent times.

What the BBMP has to say

BBMP engineer Chandrashekhar said work on the other stretch could not begin due to outstanding payments to the contractors. “The BBMP accounts section must sanction the payment of the pending amount to the contractor. The amount may be sanctioned by April and work will begin soon,” he added.