Namma Metro’s Majestic interchange station, a crucial point where the North-South and East-West corridors intersect, has hit hard rock and quite literally.

Not only was work delayed after the tunnel boring machine (TBM) hit the hard rock, but the contractors also had to face another challenge: Tough terrain (lake bed) on which the structure is being constructed.

M Sreenivas, a hotelier who owns a shop opposite KSRTC bus stand, says, “First of all, the land on which the station is coming up is a lake-bed and hence it is not an easy terrain to work on. I hear that work will be done in another eight months, we have to only wait and see.”

He added that people around the area, especially vendors and shop owners, are hoping that the project will be completed soon.

N D Gupta, a businessman who owns a shop on BVK Iyengar Road, has this to say: “Efforts should be made to complete the work soon. This project should not have been delayed. Once the station comes up, it will do wonders to reduce the traffic chaos and pollution in this area.”

He adds that it will also solve parking woes in the area.
Vimesh, another trader from the area, laments that business has been dull since bus routes have been shifted due to the ongoing construction work. “We used to get a lot of tourists as customers, but after the bus routes changed, many shops in the area are seeing dull business. We hope that at least after the work is done, things change.”

Commuters can switch trains between the North-South and East-West corridors at the Majestic interchange station, without buying another token. Since the station is located at a central point, once functional it will allow commuters easy access to the City Railway Station and inter-state bus stations.