Bengaluru: Jalahalli Cross, a major roadway for commuters entering Bengaluru via Tumkur Road, has long been notorious for heavy traffic congestion. A proposed underpass aimed at easing traffic flow at the busy intersection has remained on paper for nearly eight years, leaving commuters, pedestrians and local residents frustrated.The Jalahalli Cross underpass project was approved by the state govt during 2017–18 under the CM Nagarotthana Scheme and was initially to be implemented by the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). To facilitate the construction of the underpass, 48 properties were notified for acquisition. However, acquisition of 26 properties is still pending, leading to prolonged delays in taking up the project.Following the formation of the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the creation of five new city corporations, the project has now been entrusted to the Bengaluru West city corporation. So far, around Rs 85.7 crore has been spent on land acquisition, while an additional Rs 53.6 crore is required to acquire the remaining properties. The civil construction cost of the underpass has been estimated at Rs 57.2 crore, taking the total project cost to nearly Rs 170 crore.Residents who have long been waiting for the project welcomed the corporation’s decision to take up the work soon but cautioned that further delays could worsen traffic conditions at the already congested junction. Nagarajan R, a long-time resident of the locality, stressed the need for proper planning before starting the project. Another resident, Srinidhi Swaminathan, who lives near Jalahalli Cross, said, “If it is executed well within the time frame, it will be helpful for the residents. The existing road will be shrunk during construction. We are anxious that the work may go on for a long time and won’t see timely completion.” Officials said the corporation is working towards beginning the project soon. The executive engineer of the Rajarajeshwari Nagar zone, SL Papareddy, said the corporation is currently awaiting funds to complete the remaining land acquisition. “We are planning to begin civil works by the end of next week and proceed with land acquisition in parallel. The project was recently handed over to the corporation from BBMP Major Roads. We are trying to expedite it and complete it in time,” Papareddy added.
