Caught in a Limbo: Delays plague R.R. Nagar flyover and underpass projects, commuters bear the brunt

Much like last year, two crucial projects aimed at decongesting West Bengaluru’s R.R. Nagar have not moved an inch, while one long-neglected project has finally been revived. Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai laid the foundation stone for all three projects in 2022. Since then, residents of the area haven’t received anything more than false promises from the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and, now, the West City Corporation.

The two untouched projects are the Rajarajeshwari Nagar arch ramps and the Annapoorneshwari Nagar junction underpass, intended to ease traffic flow on Mysuru Road in the western part of the city. Three years after work on these projects began, there has been negligible progress, followed by a complete halt. In contrast, work on the Ullal junction underpass, which had been stalled for three years, resumed last month and is now progressing slowly.

However, officials of the West City Corporation appear to have little clarity on the status of these projects. Despite sustained attempts over two days to contact the Chief Engineer overseeing the projects, there was no response.

R.R. Nagar arch flyover

The project involves the construction of two ramps: one connecting Kenchanahalli Road to Mysuru Road, spanning 305 metres, and another linking University Circle with Vrishabhavati Valley, running 350 metres. Taken up at an estimated cost of ₹71.45 crore, the project was scheduled for completion by July 2024, but has since been delayed.

The flyover was planned to benefit residents of Rajarajeshwari Nagar, BEML Layout, Banashankari 6th Stage, Channasandra, and Uttarahalli, while also facilitating a signal-free junction at the R.R. Nagar arch on Mysuru Road.

At present, only a few pillars have been completed. Just one pillar has been erected at the ground level near the turn-off towards Nayandahalli on Mysuru Road. This shoddy execution has become an eyesore for commuters.

The engineer who spoke to The Hindu said they had taken charge of the project only about a month ago and had limited knowledge of its progress. He, however, attributed the delay to land acquisition issues.

Arun Kumar, a resident of R.R. Nagar and an employee of a private firm, said the R.R. Nagar Arch junction on Mysuru Road is a major bottleneck. He pointed out that residents had already endured years of traffic disruption owing to metro construction.

“Again, for the last three years, most of our time has been wasted in traffic because of the flyover work. The government should not torture people by repeatedly claiming that flyovers are being built for public benefit,” he said.

Delay in underpasses

On Ullal Road, work was stalled owing to land acquisition issues and the need to fell trees within the Jnanabharathi campus of Bangalore University. Work resumed a month ago, and the single-line grade separator from Nagarabavi to Bangalore University has since been completed.

Currently, work is under way on the remaining lanes. “It is pleasing that the work has resumed. However, progress is slow. As a result, traffic congestion at this junction is severe, with vehicles getting stuck for kilometres during peak hours,” said Girish M.C., a resident of Visvesvaraya Layout.

In contrast, work on the Annapoorneshwari Nagar junction underpass has come to a complete standstill. The 496-metre underpass, estimated to cost ₹29.16 crore, remains unfinished. The half-completed structure has become overgrown with bushes, with no visible signs of activity, giving it the appearance of an abandoned site.

“This Outer Ring Road stretch, which connects Kengeri and Magadi Road, houses several educational institutions. Thousands of students commute through the Annapoorneshwari Nagar junction every day,” said Rajendra Prasad, a resident of the area.

The engineer quoted earlier told The Hindu that the delay was owing to difficulties in acquiring land belonging to an educational institution along the road, an issue that has now been resolved. “We need to demolish the institution’s compound wall for the project, which will be done in the next few days. The work will resume within 15 days,” he said, though he declined to provide a tentative deadline for completing the project.

While commuters have borne the brunt of these delays for years, the projects are increasingly being seen as victims of political entanglements and civic body negligence rather than mere land acquisition hurdles. During the ongoing Winter Session, R.R. Nagar MLA N. Munirathna sought an update on the stalled projects without formally submitting a question. Responding to the impromptu query, Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar said he would have provided details had the MLA raised a formal question on the projects.

(This is the fourth of a multi-part series)