The Hindu : Front Page : ‘Ready-to-fit underpass’ likely to be in place by Friday

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Monday, Jan 21, 2008
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‘Ready-to-fit underpass’ likely to be in place by Friday

S. Rajendran and Afshan Yasmeen

Concrete structures are being installed at a brisk pace

– Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Shaping up: Concrete structures being installed at the Cauvery junction in Bangalore on Sunday.

BANGALORE: After the initial hiccups, brisk work is on to install the “ready-to-fit underpass” here, and government sources told to The Hindu that the underpass could be thrown open for traffic before Republic Day.

Following the discovery of several major water supply pipelines of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board and the damage caused to some of them during the course of installation of concrete structures, the Commissioner of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, S. Subramanya, said on Saturday that 10 more days were needed to complete the work.

With a change in the installation strategy, the BBMP authorities are confident that the underpass will be ready in about five days.

Installation of concrete structures, which make up the underpass, is on and this is expected to be completed by Monday. Thereafter, asphalting of approach roads will be taken up. Installation of concrete structures commenced from the Bhashyam Circle side. With a huge gathering of curious onlookers at the spot, the authorities sought the assistance of the police to regulate the crowd. Though the past two days were government holidays, nearly 100 BBMP personnel have been working continuously to complete the work at the earliest.

It was mentioned that with the water seepage at the construction site turning into a major problem, the BBMP Commissioner had sought the advice of technical experts, including those associated with soil mechanics and structural engineering and the Tor Steel Research Foundation. They have felt that water seepage will not affect the underpass.

“To start with, we have treated 10 metres of the trench-bed with metal aggregate and dry lean concrete and are placing 10 elements on the bed. Subsequently, we will clear another 10 metres, create another temporary well a little further and divert water there and continue the work. We are laying the bed with dry lean concrete to cover the wet surface. The moisture and wetness of the mud will set the concrete. It is common to have water seepage during construction of such facilities,” the BBMP Chief Engineer (Major Roads), K.S. Krishna Reddy, told The Hindu on Sunday.

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