BIAL connectivity updates Novenmber 2007

Task force has focus on NH 7

Reshaping of existing roads was in focus as members of the task force constituted to address issues of connectivity to the upcoming international airport in Devanahalli met for the first time, on Thursday.

During the meeting, the task force identified core issues of concern and worked towards formulating short-term and long-term plans to address them, according to sources.

With the proposed 33.5-km elevated rail link still on paper and road projects including the Special State Highway from Outer Ring Road to Devanahalli yet to take off, the focus was brought back on NH 7, that is the only major connecting road. The airport is set to commence operations on March 30, 2008.

The task force comprises senior officials from various government departments and agencies, including the PWD, Infrastructure Development Department, BDA, BBMP, BMRDA and the police, apart from industry leaders.

Sources said the BBMP, represented by Commissioner S Subramanya, detailed short-term plans to make the nearly 40-km ride from the Central Business District to the new airport less tiresome.

BBMP plans
The BBMP is already working on a contingency plan, that covers innovations like readymade underpasses at choke points, in this connection. The first series of underpasses is expected to be ready by January, 2008.

Widening of roads between Vidhana Soudha and Hebbal and creation of more service roads have been brought to the table. The task force will also have streamlining of traffic from the city up to Hebbal as a priority task.

I would like to see this new technology in action and if it is all that it promises to be. However the traffic lights were the only hope for pedestrians in this city of ours. I wonder how they will manage now. Yesterday, I went to the nehru planetarium with my boys. While I will write a separate post on that, I will focus on the drive from JP nagar to the planetarium and back in the following paragraphs. a. It took about 40 mins in the not so peak hour from my house to cover the 13 odd km to there. Just reaching 4th block from our apartments takes 20 mins!!! b. I observed that there has been no attempt at synchronizing traffic lights along JC Road. I stopped at Minerva, then at Siddaiah road, then at Shivaji,again at Town Hall, again at Unity buildings and one almighty mess at the Hudson church signal with everyone's vehicle pointing in different directions (and this next to Ulsoor Gate station). (For anyone who has been to Madras, check out Mount Road and how well the traffic lights have been synchronized). c. On the way back we wanted to visit the VITM (another write-up will come out on that). Made the bad mistake of coming down Queen's Road. Took the right turn to Kasturba road and realized I had to go down Mallya Road, Sampangi Tank Road and then back. Are our traffic police trying to help the oil companies?? This one-way madness has gone a bit too far! d. The drive back from the Museum - we went on MG Road, Brigade Road and Richmond Road. Traffic was surprising disciplined with lower levels of honking than usual (wonder why). e. Double road - they seem to have done patchwork repairs. Traffic was smooth and we made it from Richmond Town (where we visited my mother-in-law) to JP Nagar 7th Phase in about 35 mins. The Ashoka Pillar road is one smooth drive and there almost never is chaos. Maybe the lane markings do make a difference. The traffic police spoke a lot recently about some improvements to the traffic lights. But really don't know what they have done. Waiting at Vellara junction to take a right turn to Richmond Road - we had a countdown of 180seconds at 3:30 p.m. They need to figure out which corridors to synchronize. And whether morning needs a different pattern vs. evenings. Thanks, Srivathsa

Yes, it sounds the perfect panacea..but question remains on the stability part of it. Load variations is another thing..LMV's/Busses could be fine for vehicles moving above the underpass..but what about the loaded trucks with axle weight on the higher side..we will need restrictions for such vehicles(OMR issue?)! The last thing anyone wants is the undepass caving in! As the BDA says, this is a pilot and the same will be replicated around other junctions/roads in Blr. Also pedestrian underpasses are planned this way too!

72 hr underpass

Hi All ! So, BBMP seems to have found a solution to ease the chaos & junction/signal delays with these pre-cast arches that can be positioned quickly. Wonder how it was'nt found till now - they could have started erecting these much earlier & made quick progress all around the city as costs are low /affordable & the job can be done very fast. This seems to be the perfect answer for our situation ! I think there is a limitation for the width due to weight - it has only a single lane & may not be suitable everywhere as mutiple arches may need to be put up on mutiple lane roads. The picture in TOI today shows the plan for KR circle - looks very good & if such ideas are used at Hudson circle, corporation & in front of town hall - actually at almost all such junctions, traffic may be streamlined & road rage may be somewhat controlled as one's vehicle will be on the move most of the time !

The news reports say that the width is 15 mts but the demonstrated one is just enough for a bus..hope increase in width will still hold a battle tank moving over it! Also, this is a good solution for a criss-cross road however the problem still remains to be addressed as to how we get the join ramps work! I can imagine the cables and pipes that will come in the way..most of the underpass/flyover works in bangalore are delayed not cos of the technology but more because of the clearences from the various agencies that use the road.,. It seems railways has been using the precast tech since a long time..what were we doing and what are they doing now about the benniganahalli RUB?? And..and..underpass reuse did someone say?? sounds familiar for a city where code re-use is almost a household term! :P he..he..he