Marathahalli Bridge close to completion - finally

11 January 2008 - 12:39am — silkboard

I still remember the sign board BDA had put up onsite when construction began on Marathahhali bridge (here). Start 30-4-2006, finish 30-7-2006. Were they kidding - 3 months, thats it? Anyway. dates moved, fast forward to January 2008, and the word going around is that we may get the full six lane bridge done in a few weeks.

Dont think your ride to and back from Whitefield will get a lot smoother though. Main reason - the chaotic Marathahalli bus stand area. Instead of waiting before the bridge, you would be stuck waiting on the bridge now. that is because 1) six lanes on the bridge would merge into four, and 2) right when that merge happens, you would invariably have a BMTC bus picking up passengers.

But, there seems to be a plan for managing traffic coming out of those apartment complexes. As you can sort of see in the pictures, there is a road running parallel to the rail track that goes under the new bridge. From this road, you have two service roads (one on either side of the elevated six lane road) to drive east and come to the foot of the bridge. So, they could make the apartment traffic take U-turns under the bridge so that no one cuts across the Airport-Varthur road traffic. Lets see. We know dividers can be moved as well as breached by public will :)

Comments

traffic plan

tsubba - 11 Jan 2008 - 6:58am

awesome work! didnt get the traffic plan though. can you elaborate on that?

U-turn under the bridge

silkboard - 11 Jan 2008 - 9:38am

There are two roads running parallel (on each side, north and south) to the bridge that go all the way to the new road they have done under the bridge. So I am thinking that the plan would be to make apartment traffic go do a U-turn under the bridge, then come back to the foot of the six lane bridge. That way they don't have cut across traffic when leaving or entering the apt complex. I think ditto for the traffic that comes from the village down the railway track. Earlier, those vehicles use to join the airport-Varthur road traffic right on top of the bridge. It was like a traffic signal literally on top of the bridge. Now no more. The key to managing traffic on key radial roads in Bangalore is to make more and more people take U-turns. But the temptation usually is to have frequent cuts in the median, because people don't like to travel the extra distance for U-turns. In the worst case, you see people going the wrong direction, just to avoid a U-turn.

bridge status..

blrsri - 11 Jan 2008 - 10:31am

from the image the dark patch I think is the newly asphalted road..but there is a gap where the railway track is. Has the actual bridge construction completed? or has it started at all? I am not sure about the few weeks needed..it could be months aferall!

Pics are a bit old

silkboard - 12 Jan 2008 - 10:59pm

Forgot to mention, I took these pictures in mid-Dec 07. They have since started on the 'real' bridge (over the train tracks), work seems to be moving fast. As per a reliable 'source', we should have it ready in a couple of weeks.

still would take a few months..

blrsri - 18 Jan 2008 - 12:28pm

I passed over the bridge yesterday and saw a big gaping hole over the road streach where the bridge should pass.. over the rail track..they were getting the steel rods in place to pour concrete..that will then go for a round of curing and then they will cover the road bridge section.. Should be a few months for it!

Any updates

hmajay - 28 Feb 2008 - 6:22am

Any latest updates on Marthalli Bridge?

Ajay

oh yes, almost done!

silkboard - 28 Feb 2008 - 7:19am

They have closed the remianing 'gap'. The part over the railway track was done when I posted this blog. After that, they have covered the gap left over the road the goes under the bridge. That part of the bridge is drying/settling right now. So we are almost home. anytime now.

Bridge surface done

silkboard - 24 Mar 2008 - 7:42am

Had a close look at the bridge last evening, the surface of the bridge is all done and cemented. They need to tar the areas they finished over last two weeks. I think BDA would already be looking for a neta/babu for the inauguration ceremony.

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