Mysuru: If everything goes as per plan, the city will get its first flyover (grade separator) on Mysuru-Hunsur Highway near Hinkal by December 2017, the end of this year, benefiting thousands of motorists heading towards Hunsur and those coming to the city.

Works are on in full swing and according to authorities, from January 2018, it will be a smooth ride from Hinkal towards Kodagu and vice-versa. Usually, the place is a bottleneck and on an average, hundreds of vehicles travel on this stretch that leads to bumper-to-bumper traffic. The situation is worse during peak hours with heavy vehicles, buses, cars, two-wheelers, cyclists and pedestrians jostling for space.

For the benefit of our readers, a flyover also called overpass, is a bridge, road or a similar structure that crosses over another road or railway. An overpass and underpass (tunnel) together form a grade separator.

The grade separator is being constructed on the Hunsur-Mysuru Highway by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) at an estimated cost of Rs. 19.8 crore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM). The works began on April 27, 2016 and over 40 percent of the works have been completed.

As per the tender norms, the works must be completed within 18 months and the contract has been given to M/s PJB Engineers Private Limited based in Bengaluru. Once completed, the grade separator on this stretch that connects Mysuru, Kodagu, Kerala, Hassan and Mangaluru will ensure the smooth passage of thousands of vehicles every day without any bottlenecks. The project is also likely to boost tourism.  

The Hunsur Road grade separator was approved by the State Government in 2016. Sixty percent of the funding for the construction is being done by the Centre, 30 percent is being funded by the State Government and 10 percent of the cost is being borne by MUDA. The 5.5 metre grade separator begins from Hinkal Tent till Grand Maurya Hotel.

Vehicles proceeding from Mysuru towards Hunsur and those vehicles coming from Hunsur to Mysuru can go above the grade separator without any interruption. Once the four-lane grade separator is constructed, commuters need not wait for the Hinkal Junction traffic signal and proceed towards Columbia Asia Hospital on one side and towards Bogadi on the other side.

On the grade separator, there will be two separate lanes (a total of 18 metres) for vehicles coming towards Mysuru from Hunsur and for the vehicles proceeding towards Hunsur from Mysuru. The lanes have been separated by road dividers and there will be service roads on either side below the grade separator. The total length of the grade separator is 580 metres.