Skywalk triggers traffic chaos

The stretch between Cauvery Emporium Junction and Anil Kumble Circle was made out-of-bounds for traffic, triggering chaos on all the roads leading to the area. Vehicles were stuck for hours on end.

Already running out of time with an improbability of commissioning Reach One between Byappanahalli and Chinnaswamy Stadium (6.7 km) on the east-west corridor by December-end, the BMRCL was to have completed the work on the concourse at least a week ago.

During the work which will go on till 8 am on Monday, two railguards will be put up on either side whereas the roof and the pedestal will be inserted later, an onsite engineer said. The railguards, weighing 49 tonnes each, will be placed on two beams of identical height located on either side.  Nearly 50 workers are involved in rigging whereas another 50 are busy in other works. Five cranes, including a gigantic one capable of lifting 275 tonnes, were pressed into service.

While an official statement from BMRCL maintained that the road was closed for traffic only from 8 pm, vehicular movement was banned much earlier. A Nagappa, ACP (Traffic Central), said the stretch was made out-of-bounds for motorists around 12:30 pm.

Although the BMRCL sought to beat the drum over the commencement of the work, it has little comfort to take as work on the Plaza Theatre concourse is miles behind completion.

First, legal disputes ensured that the 1,534 square-metre land on which the iconic 74-year-old theatre stood was not handed over to the corporation on time. It was only in last April that the BMRCL acquired Plaza Theatre which was demolished later.

A last-minute change in the design of the concourse by the BMRCL didn’t help matters. At present, only a single-frame structure exists on the site. The concourse will give commuters direct access from Church Street to the M G Road elevated station through the skywalk.

On Reach One, 72 per cent civil work on all stations and piers on all 222 locations have been completed. Besides, girder segments have been cast and segment launching of all girders is over from Byappanahalli to Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium.

Blockage of the stretch, expectedly, affected traffic on the surrounding roads as traffic police diverted vehicular movement. Traffic at Anil Kumble Circle was diverted towards the left and then towards  the right to join Cubbon Road. Vehicles from Mayo Hall were diverted at the Cauvery Emporium Junction. This put extra pressure on Cubbon Road, Kamaraj Road and Brigade Road.

Vehicles crawled on Cubbon Road, at the junctions of Kamaraj Road, Brigade Road and Mayo Hall. Residency Road bore the brunt, as the stretch between the Cauvery Emporium Junction and Opera House Junction was flooded with vehicles. This had spillover impact on vehicular movement at the Ashirvadam Junction.