Under bridge delay irks Yelahanka residents

Prolonged delay in executing Road Under Bridge (RUB) work near the Yelahanka Railway Station has left hundreds of citizens in the lurch.

Forced to cross the tracks by foot, especially women, children and elders risk their lives everyday in Yelahanka. The road linking Yelahanka Old Town with Yelahanka New Town is a crucial connecting stretch frequented by many daily.

With Yelahanka emerging as a major railway junction, the station has witnessed fast-paced development over the years. Everyday about 53 trains pass through the station. At times, people wait for long hours to cross the tracks. In fact, the demand for a RUB is as old as 20 years and citizens have been petitioning railway ministers and higher officials since. However, till date, there is no decision on the project, the locals say.

Though RUB work started seven years ago acknowledging the people’s demand, it made no headway due to changes in political leadership and a lack of coordination between the Railways and the BBMP.

Shockingly, the mini Vidhana Soudha — a hub of bureaucratic activities of the Yelahanka taluk that attracts hundreds of people is also situated on the same stretch.

“If the RUB is completed, we can reach the mini Vidhana Soudha and Doddaballapura Main Road in five minutes. Currently, we have to take a detour of about 2 km by taking a roundabout of the Kamakshamma Layout and Police Station Circle,” bemoaned Muniraju, a local resident.

Commenting on the slow pace of the work, Yelahanka MLA S R Vishwanath said: “We had submitted a proposal for RUB way back in 2012. But the project suffered a setback owing to technical reasons. There has been a technical problem in the extension of the road and it will be resolved soon. The work will be taken up in collaboration with the BBMP and Railways.”

Revealing that the BBMP has already transferred Rs 8.40 crore to the Railways for road work, BBMP’s assistant executive engineer for roads and infrastructure Ashok said: “We already submitted a proposal for setting up a 9 m-wide concrete box allowing two-way traffic and paid Rs 8.40 crore. However, the railway officials said they would set up a 5 m-wide box. But once the RUB is completed, the vehicle density will increase. We have requested the Railways to set up a 9 m-wide box. The BBMP is prepared to divert more funds if need be.”