[sustran] Richmond circle FLYOVER GETS CULT STATUS FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS

Vinay Baindur yanivbin at gmail.com
Mon May 23 17:31:52 JST 2016


http://www.bangaloremirror.com/bangalore/others/Flyover-gets-cult-status-for-all-the-wrong-reasons/articleshow/52391634.cms


FLYOVER GETS CULT STATUS FOR
ALL THE WRONG REASONS
By Prakruti PK, Bangalore Mirror Bureau | May 23, 2016, 04.00 AM IST
[image: Flyover gets cult status for all the wrong reasons]
A man takes an illegal U-turn on Richmond Road flyover on Sunday. This is a
daily affair here, and is now a key plot point in a new Kannada movie
called ‘U-turn’
*Six-foot wide break in the median on flyover has led to a lot of accidents*


Countless notifications sent and received, numerous complaints made to the
civic authorities, several failed attempts to fix the damage, paintings by
a famous artist, and now — the latest feather in its cap — an entire
Kannada feature film revolving around it; seems like the perilous and
illegal U-turn on Richmond Road flyover in the heart of the city has truly
evolved into a landmark of sorts for Bengaluru.

But the question is, what else will it take for people to stop breaking the
median and for officials to permanently fix it? Being one of the earliest
flyovers built in the city, it was constantly at the receiving end of
brickbats over the years when officials initially inaugurated it as a
one-way, then reversed the flow of traffic, and finally ended up making it
a permanent two-way.

That it is riddled with potholes is stating the obvious, but most of the
negative attention Richmond Road flyover has received of late is due to a
gaping six-foot wide break in the median and the haphazardly strewn
concrete blocks around it, courtesy errant motorists with a sheer disregard
for traffic rules. This allows autos, goods vehicles, and even small cars
to make unlawful U-turns in order to switch lanes in the middle of the
flyover.

For head constable Nanjundaiah attached to the Ulsoorgate traffic police,
setting the stones in order twice a day has been incorporated into his
routine.

"It will soon be a year since I submitted a report about the median to my
seniors that was passed on to the BBMP officials. We strongly suggested it
be made permanent and unbreakable, but it has fallen on deaf ears. I spend
an hour or more each day realigning the blocks around 8.30am, and then
again around 4:30pm, just before peak hour sets in. Many a time, heavy
vehicles such as buses and goods autos have broken down and gotten stuck
after accidentally running over the blocks, causing horrendous pile-ups,"
says Nanjundaiah.

Accidents, though minor and non-fatal, are not uncommon either. When
darkness shrouds the top of the flyover, the break in the median becomes
more dangerous than ever. And that is exactly what Pawan Kumar, director of
U-turn, sought to highlight in his mystery/horror flick which hit theatres
on Friday.

"I wanted people to understand that even seemingly simple issues can have
dire consequences. Knowing that it would not reach as many people in the
form of a documentary or regular video, I deliberately wrote a script with
a supernatural element to engage the audience and make them understand that
even such everyday occurrences should not be ignored. Someone told me that
a highly-educated man felt very guilty after watching the film because he
too had apparently moved the blocks and taken the U-turn a few times. We
must wake up and become more sensitised about such issues in our city,"
Kumar tells Mirror.

But what does all this spell for the flyover? Will motorists' woes finally
be fixed? BBMP chief engineer of the major roads and infrastructure
department, KT Nagaraj, says the contract to resurface and install a
cast-in-situ (or permanent) median on the flyover will be finalised within
a few days.

"No matter how many times we realign the median, two-wheeler riders
invariably manage to break it. Another issue is the width of the lane from
Richmond Road going towards Lalbagh Road; casting a permanent median
requires a fair amount of space, which would further lessen the carriageway
of this lane. We will have to cast a thin, permanent median for this, and
it will be completed soon," Nagaraj adds.


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