Mysuru: MP Pratap Simha inspected the ongoing works on grade separator on Hunsur Road near Hinkal junction, this morning and asked the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), which has taken up the construction with an estimated cost of Rs.19.8 crore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM), to speed up the work.

The concrete blocks have to be placed underneath the overpass and it needs a lot of curing. Hence, the road has to be blocked for at least three months, informed MUDA Executive Engineer (EE) R.K. Raju to  Pratap Simha.

Hearing this, Simha told the EE that it would be very difficult to keep the road closed for three months and hence, an alternative route has to be found to divert the traffic. The work which was to be completed by Dec.17 is now likely to be completed only in June this year as the MUDA has demanded an extension to finish the work.

The works began on April 27, 2016 and over 57.48 percent of the works have been completed. The total length of the grade separator, including the ramp on both sides, is 510 metres. The width of the flyover is 17.20 metre and the estimated cost was Rs.15.18 crore. The approved tender amount was  Rs.19.83 crore. While Centre shares 60 percent of the cost of the project, the remaining 40 percent is shared between the State Government and MUDA.

The width of the main carriageway is 7.50 metres, the width of service roads on either side is six metres and the footpaths are 2 metres wide. The central median width is 1.20 metres and the flyover will have four lanes. The number of piers is four and number of pile group is two.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Pratap Simha said that the work on the 42 km stretch of Ring Road was completed with the Rs.156 crore sanctioned by the present government at the Centre and after the completion of the work, was handed over to  the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for maintenance. “Modi government was responsible in extending the JnNURM  project by three years as the term of the project had expired. There is an increase in vehicular traffic on this stretch and we are even planning to widen it to six lanes from the existing four lane planned,” he said.

He said the population of Mysuru stands at 11.50 lakh today and it is likely to go up to 13.50 to 14 lakh by the year 2020.

Pratap Simha also visited Second Stage Vijayanagar where the work on the water tank with a 1.80 crore litres storage capacity is going on. 12 works under AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) scheme worth Rs.156 crore is going on in the city.

The other works going on include Melapura Drinking water scheme worth Rs.57.65 crore, Hongalli Second Stage drinking water scheme worth Rs.2.99 crore, Hongalli 3rd Stage water supply scheme worth Rs.51.01 crore and Belagola water supply scheme worth Rs. 1.90 crore.

The 26 MLD water storage and the repair for the old four MG and six MG tanks under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) worth Rs.25.80 crore is also going on, he said.