JOIN USJC Road flyover sure to take off but cost goes up to Rs 270 cr
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) plan to decongest JC Road by building a 1.8-km flyover is now estimated to cost Rs 270 crore, an increase by Rs 50 crore, due to design changes and delay.
The long-pending proposal, which promises to offer signal-free journey across seven junctions including Minerva Circle, Town Hall and Hudson Circle, will be tabled before the technical advisory committee (TAC) for approval on Tuesday.
The state government had earmarked Rs 220 crore for the flyover under the chief minister’s Nava Nagarothana programme. The TAC, which has almost finalised the technical specifications of the project, had suggested to keep the elevated roads much wider than what the BBMP had proposed, but there were concerns of the project cost shooting up further.
As per the BBMP’s present plan, the flyover is expected to reduce traffic congestion by 46%. The civic body has proposed two up-ramps at Minerva Circle and one up/down ramp on RV Road.
A down-ramp has been proposed at Hudson Circle (towards Majestic) and another on Kasturba Road. Two up-ramps are proposed for traffic coming from Nrupathunga Road and Raja Rammohan Roy Road.
The flyover, officials said, will have a total of four lanes. “The project will greatly help South Bengaluru residents heading towards Majestic or Cantonment area. The flyover will also decongest seven junctions such as Minerva Circle, Town Hall, Hudson Circle, Cauvery Talkies, Urvashi Talkies and Halasuru Gate police station,” a senior BBMP official said.
B S Manohar, vice president, Basavanagudi Resident Welfare Association, said a flyover on JC road is very much essential. “I wait for 5-10 minutes at each junction between Minerva Circle and Hudson Circle. The Town Hall signal is worse and the timings have to be changed manually to manage the traffic. The congestion can be remediated only by building a flyover,” he said and stressed the need to complete the project early.
Along the same stretch, the BMRCL also has a plan to build an underground metro line that proposes to connect Sarjapura Road with Hebbal. An underground station is also planned near Town Hall and the metro line is expected to pass along JC Road and Nrupathunga Road.
A BBMP official said the civic body has already consulted the BMRCL and the pillars are planned by looking at the metro’s alignment. “At one place, the flyover pillar comes in conflict with metro’s future alignment. We will be building a segmental structure,” an official said. The land acquisition trouble is unlikely to affect the construction of the flyover as it requires only around 1,000 square metres of property on RV Road.
A senior BBMP official said the project will be definitely taken up. “A lot of grants are being used for small projects that do not make any big difference to the city. The flyover on JC Road will be taken up as it has been a long-pending proposal that is much needed.”
Timeline
2014: BBMP announces construction of flyover on JC Road
2018: Plan dropped to make space for the much longer elevated corridor, which was later shelved
2022: Govt earmarks Rs 220 crore, but the cost is now estimated at Rs 270 crore