A year on, BBMP yet to fix defective Hoodi flyover

Bengaluru: Last September, the South Western Railway (SWR) had urged the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to fix the Hoodi flyover, having found serious defects.

One year has gone by, but the broken bearings remain unfixed, though the work’s cost is just Rs 60 lakh. The civic body has also failed to install height bars to restrict heavy vehicles.

During routine checks, the SWR found four bearings of the railway overbridge — built in 2014 — damaged and wrote to the BBMP, custodian of the bridge, to repair them immediately. DH had reported the issue last year.

Locals told DH on Thursday that only temporary fixes have been made. They fear the continued movement of heavy vehicles could worsen the damage.

Despite allocating Rs 39.50 crore for the repair and maintenance of flyovers, subways, and bridges, the BBMP has not set aside funds for the Hoodi flyover. A source said that the delay may stem from the BBMP’s reluctance to release money to the SWR, which may have to execute the repairs.

The railway overbridge connects ITPL Road with Ayyappanagar and nearby colonies and is also used by vehicles heading to Hosakote.

The bearings, partly made of rubber, provide cushion to the horizontal beams with vertical pillars. Over the years, they have torn and lost strength.

While there is no risk of bridge collapse, the damaged bearings could misalign the girders and endanger motorists.

BBMP engineers were unavailable for comment.