The Hindu : Front Page : Metro work set to disrupt traffic near Vidhana Soudha

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Thursday, Sep 09, 2010
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Metro work set to disrupt traffic near Vidhana Soudha

Anil Kumar Sastry

Part of Cubbon Road to be closed after three months

BANGALORE: Bangaloreans have to gear up for a major motor traffic disruption — in the vicinity of the Vidhana Soudha and the Raj Bhavan — that should last two years.

The approval granted to Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited for underground stations at Minsk Square and Vidhana Soudha by the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday will in due course translate into a string of traffic diversions albeit after another three months when the BMRCL prepares the alternative routes in conjunction with the traffic police.

The traffic police say these works require at least three months for completion and till then closure of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Veedhi between Gopala Gowda Circle and GPO; Cubbon Road between Minsk Square and BRV Junction has been ruled out nor would be the partial closure of Minsk Square. The construction entails cutting of 116 trees within Cubbon Park and permanent ceding of 2,126 sq m of park land for Bangalore Metro. Building alternative facilities include construction of alternative roads; strengthening the existing roads and building a steel deck at Minsk Square for diverting the traffic.

Since the Raj Bhavan Road connects North Bangalore that comprises international airport and South and South East Bangalore, closure of Cubbon Road and partial closure of Minsk Square is set to upset the traffic patterns.

Praveen Sood, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), told The Hindu that the traffic police would have a tough task over the next two years. “Traffic diversion will not be the solution. Instead motorists should opt for alternative road”. At present, the Raj Bhavan Road is an arterial road linking Bangalore north with the southern extensions.

Likewise, drivers from East Bangalore could use the Outer Ring Road or Jayamahal Road to reach the Airport, those from South East Bangalore could use the Outer Ring Road. Moreover roads in East Bangalore that were affected due to metro work will be opened for traffic by month-end.

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