‘Land acquisition issues, pending bills’: Bengaluru’s ‘Stonehenge’ Ejipura flyover unlikely to be completed this year

Meant to connect Kendriya Sadan in Koramangala to the inner Ring Road at Ejipura Junction, the flyover stretches across 2.5 km. Its construction was approved in 2014 and a tender was awarded in 2017 with a 30-month deadline. The project was supposed to be completed in November 2019 but the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) extended the deadline to December 2020 and imposed a penalty for delay. Despite protests from residents and elected representatives, nothing changed.

However, after the Karnataka Congress government came into power, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said in August 2023 that an additional Rs 141 crore was required for the project and assured to solve the problem soon. “It is really unfortunate that the project has been delayed. I will ensure that it is completed,” he said then.

Last month, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that around 50 per cent of the flyover’s work was complete and the rest was underway. “Initially, there was no need for land acquisition, but the BBMP still went ahead and notified 32 properties. Issues related to one property and the St John’s (hospital) property are likely to be resolved in the coming days,” he said, adding that pending bills for the completed works will also be cleared soon.

“In view of the monsoon, I have instructed officials to lay an additional layer of asphalt under the flyover to ensure smooth traffic movement. We expect 90–95 per cent of the work to be completed by December,” he said.

However, an official associated with the project said they are yet to iron out land acquisition issues. “A portion of land close to St John’s Hospital is yet to be acquired. A meeting has to be held with the stakeholders,” the official told The Indian Express.

As of now, 416 segments out of the planned 762 have been cast, and 291 segments have been erected, according to the BBMP.

On the ground, commuters and shopkeepers remain frustrated. While construction is going on, its pace is slow. Mohan Kumar, a traffic police constable stationed at the site, says, “Peak traffic hours are from 8 am to 11.30 am and from 4.30 pm to 9 pm. It is always congested, and when it rains it becomes worse.”

Muthu, an employee at TVS which is located near the construction site, said part of the flyover now passes in front of his shop, which is a sign of recent progress but beyond that point, there are “just bare pillars.”

Alim Pasha, manager of the long-standing Sapphire Gift shop in the area, said the situation has affected business, especially for smaller shops. “Business has been bad, and people barely come. The store is mostly empty. Even if they come, it is mostly during the afternoon when the traffic is moderate. When it rains, the place in front of the shop gets clogged, so there is hardly any access. This flyover is a tragedy,” he said.

Bhoomika Roy Banerjee is an intern with The Indian Express.