<p>The Peenya flyover, a vital gateway connecting Bengaluru to the rest of Karnataka and North India has finally reopened, albeit only for light motor vehicles, after remaining shut for one-and-a-half months for maintenance work. Heavy vehicles like buses and lorries, for which the flyover was ostensibly built, will continue to be banned on it. The flyover was initially shut to all traffic for a week on December 25, but when engineers noticed serious defects that endangered the structure itself and could have proved fatal for motorists, it was declared shut indefinitely. The closure had turned life into a nightmare for commuters all around the flyover, with the road under it perennially clogged with vehicles. During peak hours, it took nearly two-and-a-half hours to cover this four-km stretch, adversely impacting, among others, the industrial units at the Peenya industrial estate. The traffic gridlock also hampered the movement of ambulances, putting patients who needed emergency care at grave risk. The results of a load testing study conducted by experts from the Indian Institute of Science did not meet the expected standards, with the flyover failing to withstand the stress and strain of the movement of heavy vehicles. The team has now recommended a detailed audit and root cause analysis, which will take six to nine months, to gauge the maximum carrying capacity of the flyover. The issue also found a mention in the Assembly, when Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai spoke of the poor quality of construction. Though it has not been spelt out in public yet, the indication is that the flyover may never be able to serve its original purpose anymore, and that at least a portion of it, if not the entire structure, may have to be demolished and rebuilt.</p>.<p>Built by the National Highways Authority of India, the flyover is barely 11 years old. It is shocking that such major infrastructure projects, built at a cost of hundreds of crores, do not even last a quarter of their intended lifespan. Such shoddy work on flyovers, often leading to their collapse sooner or later, is not new in the country, but it must certainly be new for one overseen by the NHAI. This obviously points to rampant corruption in the project. Citizens have raised a voice of protest, but only a feeble one, and that is cause for concern, too.</p>.<p>The Peenya flyover is perhaps testimony to political and bureaucratic callousness, even at the cost of public safety. The government should get to the bottom of the issue and ensure that all those who are responsible for this shoddy piece of work are brought to book.</p>
<p>The Peenya flyover, a vital gateway connecting Bengaluru to the rest of Karnataka and North India has finally reopened, albeit only for light motor vehicles, after remaining shut for one-and-a-half months for maintenance work. Heavy vehicles like buses and lorries, for which the flyover was ostensibly built, will continue to be banned on it. The flyover was initially shut to all traffic for a week on December 25, but when engineers noticed serious defects that endangered the structure itself and could have proved fatal for motorists, it was declared shut indefinitely. The closure had turned life into a nightmare for commuters all around the flyover, with the road under it perennially clogged with vehicles. During peak hours, it took nearly two-and-a-half hours to cover this four-km stretch, adversely impacting, among others, the industrial units at the Peenya industrial estate. The traffic gridlock also hampered the movement of ambulances, putting patients who needed emergency care at grave risk. The results of a load testing study conducted by experts from the Indian Institute of Science did not meet the expected standards, with the flyover failing to withstand the stress and strain of the movement of heavy vehicles. The team has now recommended a detailed audit and root cause analysis, which will take six to nine months, to gauge the maximum carrying capacity of the flyover. The issue also found a mention in the Assembly, when Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai spoke of the poor quality of construction. Though it has not been spelt out in public yet, the indication is that the flyover may never be able to serve its original purpose anymore, and that at least a portion of it, if not the entire structure, may have to be demolished and rebuilt.</p>.<p>Built by the National Highways Authority of India, the flyover is barely 11 years old. It is shocking that such major infrastructure projects, built at a cost of hundreds of crores, do not even last a quarter of their intended lifespan. Such shoddy work on flyovers, often leading to their collapse sooner or later, is not new in the country, but it must certainly be new for one overseen by the NHAI. This obviously points to rampant corruption in the project. Citizens have raised a voice of protest, but only a feeble one, and that is cause for concern, too.</p>.<p>The Peenya flyover is perhaps testimony to political and bureaucratic callousness, even at the cost of public safety. The government should get to the bottom of the issue and ensure that all those who are responsible for this shoddy piece of work are brought to book.</p>
