JOIN USVictim of poor maintenance
After throwing open the flyover to public use in 1998, the BBMP seems to have done little. The asphalt has worn out in several parts of the flyover and potholes are common.
Commuters, especially motorcyclists, are the worst affected. Known for its pre-cast segmental technique, the flyover’s expansion joints are slowly losing their retention capacity. In many places, the retention joints are broken and bent. The jutting steel joints are sharp, increasing the risk for vehicular damage.
Both the landing ends of this flyover have become traffic bottlenecks during peak hours. Users of the flyover feel it would have been much better had the flyover been extended upto Corporation Circle or Town Hall. Says Saleemuddin, a tradesman of City Market: “The authorities should have stuck to the original plan of extending it till Town Hall.” Another regular user of the flyover feels that there should have been some effort to decongest the traffic below.
Monsoon adds to the misery. One downpour can result in waterlogging at both the ends. The rainwater above the bridge seeps down from the expansion joints causing a great deal of difficulty for the people below. Says Ganesh, a trader on NR Road: “During rains, one can have a shower travelling underneath the flyover.”
Narasimha Raja Road, popularly known as NR Road, lost all its green cover for this project. “It was a beautiful road with lots of huge trees,” recalls Ganesh.
However, people travelling towards Mysore Road and surrounding areas are largely satisfied as the flyover helps them cut across K R Market in no time. “The flyover helps me a lot to beat the traffic at the busy junction of KR Market,” says Hayyat, a resident of Goripalya.