BBMP issues tender to complete Ejipura flyover construction

After missing several deadlines, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has once again put out a tender worth Rs 1.44 billion to finish building the Ejipura flyover. The Karnataka government cancelled a contract it had given to Simplex Infrastructure Ltd in March 2022 to build a 2.5 km flyover between Ejipura Main Road and Kendriya Sadan in Koramangala in accordance with a high court order following several legal disputes. According to a BBMP official, the new tender was released following a thorough evaluation with Simplex members and project consultants. “It has been decided that the remaining work needs to be completed, and we are expecting to complete the work by March. We are engaging a new company to complete the work,” said the official. The decision to construct the flyover to alleviate traffic congestion in the Koramangala area was made in 2014, and a 30-month tender was awarded in 2017. The project was supposed to be completed in November 2019, but it was never completed. The BBMP then imposed a penalty and extended the deadline until December 2020. Despite residents' and elected officials' protests, nothing changed on the ground. Last year, the Urban Development Department directed the BBMP to issue a new tender in accordance with the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act, with a project cost of Rs 204 crore. Two bidders responded to the tenders issued in August, but neither received the contract due to technical reasons. The delay in finishing the flyover work has resulted in several road accidents, as construction debris has been dumped beneath the flyover. Lawrence Anthony (45), a two-wheeler rider, was seriously injured in 2019 when a massive hydraulic bolt fell on his head. His family has filed a lawsuit seeking restitution. See also: Bengaluru's first double-decker flyover to complete by March 2023Vadodara Municipal Corp to construct three flyovers