Crack develops on Hosur flyover, traffic to Bengaluru hit

A 700-metre long flyover on the Hosur-Bengaluru National Highway was closed for traffic late on Saturday (June 21, 2025) after a critical bearing failure caused transverse shift of the flyover. The timely detection of the transverse shift averted any mishap. The suspension of vehicular movement on the flyover affected traffic towards Bengaluru.

On Sunday, a team of NHAI officials and an independent bridge expert inspected the structure to assess its structural safety.

Speaking to The Hindu, Virender Sambyal, Regional Officer, who is part of the NHAI’s inspecting team said, the bearing failure could have resulted from a combination of factors, including wear and tear or ‘sudden failure’. The bridge bearings support the longitudinal and rotational movement, and is critical to load transfer from the superstructure to the substructure.

“As of now, we do not see any damage to the structure. The bearing will have to be replaced.”

Restoration of normalcy

Asked if it was in order for a bearing to malfunction a little over two decades of commissioning, Mr. Sambyal said, there could be jerks, heavy vehicle traffic, and any number of factors including wear and tear. The bridge displacement will be reversed through hydraulic jacks, but before that, the NHAI team will wait and watch for 48 hours to see if there is any structural safety issues. “First, we will restore the light-vehicle traffic and it may take a month for the normal traffic to be reversed,” Mr. Sambyal said.

The team included G.L.Verma, Independent bridge expert, along with the Project Director of Krishnagiri, NHAI Golla Ramesh.

The superstructural shift on the ‘GRT’ flyover commissioned in the year 2002 was first noticed by a patrol on Saturday, that alerted the NHAI of the transverse shift of the bridge, said a source with MSV Consultants entrusted with the maintenance of the NH-44 between Hosur-Krishnagiri. The NHAI refused to comment if it was in the order of things for the bearing to malfunction within two decades.

While the lateral shift of the bridge has affected a length of 40 metres, the entire length of the flyover spanning a distance of over 700 metres was shut down.

Traffic diversion

The ongoing traffic between Hosur and Bengaluru will be diverted and accommodated into the other half of the two-lane flyover alongside the Hosur-Krishnagiri traffic.

However, Hosur’s industry was unenthused by the sudden jam on Saturday night. “It took two hours to cross a two km distance,” says K. Velmurugan, former president, Hosur Small and Tiny Industries Association. This brings back to spotlight the absence of alternate routes and the lack of action on the North Inner ring road, a plan conceived eight years ago,” he says.

On Saturday night, Hosur Corporation issued an advisory to shops and foodcarts under the bridge to move out for safety purposes.