BANGALORE: Citizens in the western parts of the city may have to endure chaotic traffic and one-ways for at least five more months because work on the Rajajinagar and Modi-Chord Road junction grade separators is likely to be hit following the hike in sand prices.

With work on the second box of the Nehrunagar Railway Under Bridge (RUB) and the Anand Rao Circle flyover also being taken up simultaneously, motorists coming from Rajajinagar, Vijayanagar and Magadi Road side towards Majestic and Shivajinagar have been put to great hardship.

Traffic jam

Vehicles already pile up for several hundred metres and traffic moves at a snail's pace during peak hours.

While the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) authorities have set a fresh August deadline for the Rajajinagar and Modi-Chord Road junction projects, the contractors executing the work for the civic body said work is likely to be further delayed because of the increase in sand prices.

Following the State Government's recent ban on transport of sand from Kolar, the main source of supply for Bangalore city, the prices have almost doubled.

"The prices have gone up from Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 5,000 a lorry to Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 10,000 a lorry," the secretary of the Karnataka State Contractors' Association, D. Kempanna, told The Hindu on Friday.

Cost escalation

He said the situation has worsened because work had already been affected after the recent hike in steel prices.

"We need at least 7,000 to 8,000 lorries of sand daily for construction activities in the city. All major works executed by the BMP, the Bangalore Development Authority, the Public Works Department and even housing projects have been affected because of hike," Mr. Kempanna said.

Pointing out that the increase in prices will also lead to an increase in the project cost, Mr. Kempanna wondered whether the BMP will agree to pay the difference in cost escalation. "Our demand for increased rates of raw materials for asphalting and civil works is yet to be approved by the Standing Committee on Works," he said.

`Work won't be delayed'

However, the BMP Engineer-in-Chief, Rame Gowda, denied that work will be delayed.

"We will start work on the last phase of the Rajajinagar and Modi-Chord Road junction grade separators by May 15.

Work on the deck portion will be completed by then and we will open one carriageway for traffic from Vijayanagar towards Navrang theatre in Rajajinagar," Mr. Rame Gowda said.

Pointing out that the civic body needs one more month to complete the service roads around the project sites, he expressed confidence that both the projects will be completed by August.

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