The Hindu : Front Page : Width of underpass a matter of concern

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Sunday, Feb 10, 2008
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Width of underpass a matter of concern

Krishnaprasad

Cost-effective construction comes in for praise

Bangalore: Despite being unable to keep its 72-hour deadline to complete the underpass work at Cauvery junction, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) seems to have succeeded in improving its public image.

The underpass being built on a new concept of installing pre-cast elements (magic boxes), has received appreciation from people for two reasons – adoption of cost-effective construction method and short duration of construction. However, doubts about the quality of construction are haunting some as the underpass is getting final touches for inauguration on February 11. The width of the underpass (4.5 metres) is another area of concern with people finding it narrow for free movement of vehicles. Natarajan, an employee of a computer peripheral shop, said that no other vehicle could move along with a bus through the underpass. Sarojini, a bank employee residing in Vyalikaval, who goes to office by a car, said the BBMP should increase the width of underpasses planned at six other locations in the city.

But BBMP engineers said that two cars (width of a car is 1.4 metres) could pass through the underpass simultaneously.

K.S. Krishna Reddy, BBMP Chief Engineer (Major Roads), said the width of the underpass would not cause problems. Vehicles would be moving continuously as the stretch would become signal free when all underpasses were ready. The design of the underpass will cause inconvenience for the residents of Sadashivanagar, 18th Cross Road, as light vehicles pass through this road to reach Bellary Road from Sadashivanagar, 4th Main Road. However, heavy vehicles will have to take a U-turn at the underpass to proceed towards Bellary Road.

The Assistant Executive Engineer (Special Cell and Underpass), Ramakanth Desai, said the underpass had been constructed a little away from the Bellary Road stretch as there were seven sewer pipelines beneath Bellary Road–Sankey Road junction, besides a large sheetrock in the area.

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