Bangalore Development Authority floats tenders again for 4-lane flyover at Mehkri Circle

Bengaluru: Following the opening of the additional ramp at Hebbal flyover, traffic congestion at Mehkri Circle has increased significantly. To address this, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is set to build a four-lane elevated corridor at an estimated cost of nearly Rs 420 crore.The authority invited tenders on March 26 for the construction of the flyover for the second time in four months. It had earlier invited the tenders for the flyover along with a short tunnel project in Dec.The 1.6-km flyover will start near the UAS Staff Quarters (opposite Veterinary College) and continue up to Mehkri Circle, where an elevated rotary junction has been planned. From here, the flyover will have two down-ramps: one towards Yeshwanthpur on CV Raman Road, and the other towards Jayamahal. According to BDA officials, this has been planned with an upcoming east-west elevated corridor in mind. However, specifics of the latter are yet to be finalised.BDA assistant engineer Ranjan M said the authority is planning to execute the project in 18 months. "We had to make a few changes to the alignment and plan. We decided to increase the length of the down-ramp towards Yeshwanthpur as Raman Research Institute was concerned about congestion near its gates," he said.Though the new flyover requires no additional land acquisition, BDA had to obtain clearances from the defence establishments, including the headquarters of the Air Force Training Command and the Parachute Regiment, located on either side of Ballari Road.The stretch already consists of two grade separators or ramps enabling traffic to cross the busy Ballari Road. Additionally, a short tunnel from Hebbal has also been planned on the stretch. The same stretch also includes a portion of the Namma Metro's Red Line (Hebbal-Sarjapur), which is currently pending before the central govt for approval.—-—GRAPHICDecongestion efforts -Elevated corridor length: 1.6-km from UAS Quarters to Mehkri Circle-Project cost: Estimated at Rs 419.7 crore (excluding GST)Key features-Four lanes-Two down-ramps — towards Yeshwanthpur and Jayamahal-Elevated rotary junction at Mehkri Circle-Starts where proposed short tunnel from Hebbal endsChallenges-Presence of two grade separators-Upcoming short tunnel nearby-Metro line may come up, if approvedExpected impact-Reduces congestion at Mehkri Circle-Enables easy commute between Hebbal and Mehkri Circle-Connects upcoming short tunnel to Mehkri Circle