At Rs 88 crore a year, upkeep of flyover doesn't come cheap

The steel bridge proposed in the heart of the city calls for expensive maintenance, experts say. Going by global standards, the annual maintenance spend on a steel flyover comes to about 4% of its total cost.

With the revised total cost of the structure at Rs 2,200 crore, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) will have to spend at least Rs 88 crore a year to keep it in good condition.

That kind of money goes into maintaining the iconic Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco, USA, and the Sydney Harbour bridge in Australia.

Officials in Bengaluru working on the flyover project have not taken into account the high cost of maintenance. The controversial project proposes to connect Basaveshwara Circle with the Hebbal ramp of the highway to the airport.

The BDA believes just 0.5% of the cost of the flyover is enough for its annual maintenance. That comes to just Rs 11 crore. Officials estimate the cost of the four-year overhaul at 3% of the construction cost, or Rs 66 crore. Experts suspect the BDA is underestimating the maintenance costs to sell the project to citizens, many of whom are opposing it.

Realistically speaking, the annual spend on maintenance would be Rs 88 crore. In addition, the BDA has to undertake an overhaul once in four years at Rs 66 crore. Thus, the average annual expenditure on maintenance comes to Rs 27.5 crore. Any increase in the project cost would further increase the cost of maintenance.

It’s never-ending: expert

Prof Ananth Ramaswamy, structural engineer, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), says the steel flyover calls for regular maintenance.

Citing the case of the Sydney bridge, he said it was painted every three years. “It is a lifetime activity. They finish painting the bridge from one end and take three years to complete it, only to begin afresh,” he told DH.

Given the need for intensive maintenance, the Bengaluru project could turn into a rozgar yojana (employment guarantee scheme), he quipped.

Ramaswamy favours mass transport, and incentives for people using it. Durability is not a concern as a steel bridge lasts long, he said. “The question is whether the flyover is required. The best way is to create dedicated bus corridors and promote commuter rail,” the professor explained. He feels the flyover may not be necessary if traffic problems are addressed properly.