Yella ok, delay yakke?
After a delay of almost two years, the Airport Road-Inner Ring Road flyover will be opened for the public on July 15. By none other than CM HDK. Yours truly hopes to cover the funtion, putting his digicam, to better use?! ;)
The BDA, who’s baby is this flyover, has started, what they euphemistically call “load and stress tests.” That this project costed the exchequer Rs. 26.69 crore ($6 million; project overrun cost: $2 million) and took 3+ years to complete causing immeasurable stress and hardship to the already harried road users and commuters has been conveniently bypassed!
It also dented Bangalore’s image with a lot of foreigners who perhaps could not understand how it could take hours to reach MG Road/CBD from the Airport. Flights from Mumbai to Bangalore took less! Innumerable tales abound of locals who missed flights due to the traffic jams.
Of all the projects that the BDA has undertaken, this one has caused the most public outcry. The Actual work started in Feb 2003. Initial deadline : April 2004. Postponed to June 2005. Finally, now, it is July 15, 2006. To build a flyover of a km or less takes 3 years? Can the delay be condoned because it also involved construction of four loops, two service roads and two grade-level bridges that led to the delay? Only those in the know will know!
Its tough not to associate these endemic delays but being the Bangalore Metro’s biggest fan, I pray that this ‘delay virus’ does not afflict its construction schedule!
Anybody free for a collective prayer session?
:)
Ravi…glad u covered it….mainly citing the date of opening!!!
Gosh!!! For a mere crossing of the road (on a 2,3 or 4 wheeler) takes close to nothing less than 30 minutes…..waiting for it be opened…..
And rearding the collective prayer….we all would have lots of time while waiting in the traffic in the construction under progress sites…it would definitely work….
:-)
Ravi,
Either I had special edition of the papers, or you missed reading them.
The delay was because of a contractual dispute, between UP State Bridge/Builders Corp – the actual builders – and the Govt. Litigation etc., meant work stoppage.
So it wasnt the BDA that stopped work. Litigation and a Stay Order did.
Its great to question the govt, but we should do our homework too, no?
@S: Fingers crossed re: opening! Anything can happen!
@BG: You’re right & I’m sorry, I missed mentioning that aspect. But there are always two sides to the story. If you ask the builders, they will tell you that funds shortage/timely allocation by the BDA contributed to the delay! And for your info, the BDA terminated UPSBCC’s contract which led to the litigation!
sooper title maga!
@BG: Sorry but this occured as an afterthought: Did you know that the Courts held the BDA responsible for the delay and had they not set aside the ‘cancelled contract’ of the BDA, this flyover would have taken even longer for completion?
I think your ‘special edition’ of the papers missed the above?!
Cheers!
@Thej: howdu, kanno! Sooper-o-sooper, allva?
Ravi *grinning* like there’s no tomorrow!
I heard it was July 8! Ah well :) I think the whole of Bangalore will celebrate this particular flyover. If there was a contest for the longest time taken to build a one km flyover, this could be a close contestant! Hope to see your camera being put to good use soon!!
ohh finally…good news :)