Srirampuram underpass to open after 10-yr delay

It’s a rare feat when the government completes a project on time. There are several instances of projects delayed for 4-5 years.

Here is a project which was delayed nearly for 10 years after it was announced.

The railway underpass at Srirampuram that connects Malleswaram to Rajajinagar, Gayatrinagar and Srirampuram is all set to be thrown open for public use.

The project was planned in order to ease traffic along the existing old and narrow underpass. However, it was delayed for almost 10 years due to land litigations.

“The land acquisition process was delayed as there were three stake holders — Mantri Developers, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and South Western Railways (SWR). In 2007, when the project was launched, the new underpass was planned on the northern side, but to accommodate the metro pillar, SWR changed the location of the underpass to the south. But, the site belonged to the Mantri group. After several consultations, the group agreed to lay a road for public through their land, and the project kick-started,” a BBMP engineer on the spot told DH.

The delay in the project has irked a lot of residents in the surrounding areas, as the narrow underpass would lead to traffic jams, especially during peak hours.

“The movement of heavy transport vehicles are causing endless traffic jams in the locality. Now, with the new underpass, we can expect smooth traffic,” Chengappa, a resident said.

The residents, meanwhile, are expecting a change in the traffic pattern in the locality after the inauguration of the new underpass. Traffic police said the underpass is in the wrong place and they are planning to redesign the flow of traffic in the area.

“If the underpass was on the northern side, then we wouldn’t worry. But, now we have to redesign the movement of vehicles towards the Malleswaram railway station. We cannot make the commuters go through the new underpass, take a U-turn, and then come back from the old underpass to take a left. We will come up with a new arrangement before the inauguration of the new underpass,” a senior traffic police officer said.