GBA explores new technique to fast-track Jalahalli underpass construction

The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) is planning to use a new technique to construct the much-delayed and debated Jalahalli underpass in north Bengaluru, with officials claiming that the construction could be completed in less than 50 days.

M. Maheshwar Rao, Chief Commissioner of the GBA, said the authority was planning to install corrugated structures, precast elsewhere, at the junction. This could reduce construction time and allow smoother traffic movement at one of the city’s most congested junctions.

According to Mr. Rao, precasting and other preparatory works could take about a month, while on-ground work would require less than 20 days, causing minimal traffic disruption. He added that the technique had earlier been used for a railway underpass project in another state.

If the GBA proceeds with the new technique, it will be the second time that Bengaluru’s civic body will attempt to construct an underpass using such a time-saving method. In 2007, the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) attempted to construct the Cauvery Junction underpass within 72 hours (three days) but eventually completed the work in nine days.

Traffic movement was allowed on the 11th day. K.S. Krishnareddy, then Chief Engineer of Major Roads at the BBMP, told The Hindu that the underpass was constructed as a quick fix for traffic congestion and was expected to last five to eight years, but it had survived for much longer.

He said the work could have been completed within 72 hours, but the team encountered a leaking water supply line. Officials had presumed that the line would not contain water, as it was a defunct water network line. As planning for the junction gathers pace, hopes of implementing the Jalahalli underpass project have strengthened.

The project was planned in 2019, but its implementation was stalled due to land acquisition issues. It joined the list of the city’s most debated infrastructure projects after remaining stalled for over half a decade. Although the project is now seeing renewed hopes, 26 properties are yet to be acquired.

An underpass at the junction is crucial, as it serves as a key junction for interstate and inter-district buses. The GBA must, therefore, ensure that the project is completed within the stipulated period. The move is particularly important as permissions for construction have also been denied in the past due to the massive traffic disruption it could cause.

For instance, the Wind Tunnel Junction underpass was delayed by more than five years because of its potential impact on traffic in the area. Even now, its construction is unlikely to be completed before the deadline.