R.R. Nagar flyover in Bengaluru delayed by land acquisition issues, commuters hit by project stagnation

Another commuter expressed frustration with the prolonged duration of the flyover work, emphasising the need for BBMP to adhere to the timeline while executing such projects.

Construction of the Rajarajeshwari Nagar (R.R. Nagar) flyover, which the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) began in 2022 to link Kenchanahalli Road with Mysuru Road near the R.R. Nagar arch, has progressed slowly over the past year due to land acquisition issues.

In 2022, then-Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai laid the foundation stone for the flyover, with the civic body setting July 2024 as the deadline for completion of the project. After the Congress came to power in Karnataka in 2023, the pace of work on the project has been slow.

BBMP officials said that one ramp of the flyover, connecting Mysuru Road with Kenchanahalli Main Road, will be 305 meters long. Another ramp, linking University Circle with Vrushabhavathi Valley, will be 350 meters long. The total estimated cost of the project is ₹71.45 crore.

B. S. Prahlad, BBMP Chief Engineer (Road Infrastructure), told The Hindu said that work is currently underway near the rajakaluve (storm water drain), which is being renovated. “The project has not been halted. Work is underway near the rajakaluve. However, there are some land acquisition issues near the R.R. Nagar arch that we are in the process of resolving. Once these issues are addressed, the work will proceed more rapidly,” he added.

Meanwhile, commuters are bearing the brunt of the delay. When The Hindu visited the spot, only minimal progress had been made in front of the R.R. Nagar arch. Motorists travelling on the stretch are encountering severe traffic congestion due to the project being stalled for the past year-and-a-half.

Shankar Murthy, a motorist and resident of R.R. Nagar, said, “When the flyover construction began, we thought it was a positive decision that would help reduce traffic congestion in the future. However, the BBMP’s handling of the project and the delay have worsened traffic near the R.R. Nagar arch and on Mysuru Road. We already faced significant disruptions during construction of the metro, and now this delay in construction of the flyover has added to our woes.”

Another commuter expressed frustration with the prolonged duration of the flyover work, emphasising the need for BBMP to adhere to the project timeline.