As for Bengaluru residents, the long-awaited Ejipura Flyover Project is once again disappointing this week with another big delay. The Ejipura Flyover project, where the flyover may be opened by July 31, was earlier anticipated to open up for traffic, but officials tied to the scheme said that road traffic is unlikely to start before October.
Commuter traffic is so thick that people travelling to work in Ejipura, Koramangala, and the surrounding area will, for at least six months, struggle with heavy traffic on top of the already existing congestion. The update is in contrast to earlier statements from civic authorities that the long-delayed flyover would be ready for local public use by the end of July.
However, the project engineers said that the critical works for the development are still ongoing, and the new deadline for completion has been extended to October. Although a considerable amount of progress has been achieved, some main work is yet to be completed before the building can be opened safely for vehicles,” Dr Raghavendra Prasad, Chief Engineer of Ejipura Flyover Projects, said.
Officials said of the total 762 structural segments scheduled for the flyover, 728 segments have already been cast. And there were just 15 spans to install, further highlighting the completion of the project on a structural level. However, working on the supporting infrastructure and land acquisition problems has created delays in the project's final phase.
Road widening and pedestrian infrastructure development at ground level are among the top pending works, authorities said. The project is also subject to land transfer and acquisition procedures for private and government land of around 5,998.6 square metres, particularly around St. John's Medical College and adjacent stretches.
The relevant land acquisition and revenue departments are managing the acquisition process at this stage. City authorities say delays in obtaining complete possession of necessary tracts of land have slowed the speed with which road developments and uniform footpaths have been built around the flyover corridor.
Even if core construction work is done in October, formal inauguration and full-scale public-facing opening are unlikely to happen until the end of the year, according to sources, after safety checks, finishing, and traffic integration tests have been exhausted. The Ejipura Flyover has become one of the most structurally delayed infrastructure projects in Bengaluru.
A big step towards alleviating the congestion in between Koramangala and Central Bengaluru, which began as a project, has been hampered repeatedly by contractor disputes, financial problems, redesign, administrative delays and other obstacles. For their part, a high road congestion is evident over all five, and in particular at the peak office hours, the major commercial activities on Inner Ring Road, Koramangala, Ejipura and its environs are clogged.
There have been repeated complaints by residents and drivers complaining about the long delays and their effect on travel timings, fuel and road safety. Urban mobility experts think the flyover could help traffic flow even more once it is operational – especially for IT professionals and people visiting the southeast of Bengaluru.
Yet repetitive revisions in deadlines have also raised questions about the project’s execution and coordination among civic agencies. Now that the revised timeline is extended to October, and inauguration is anticipated by the end of the year, Bengaluru citizens might be forced to wait a bit longer for the city’s most-awaited flyover to finally open for business.
