Steel bridges to ease traffic

BANGALORE: If all goes according to plan, Bangalore will soon get steel bridges, to ease out traffic bottlenecks. The Bruhat Bangaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is planning to build steel bridges.According to BBMP sources, BBMP commissioner M K Shankarlinge Gowda suggested that these bridges would help ease traffic congestion on roads but informed engineers to limit the budget of the project to Rs16 crore as Palike was already facing a fund crunch. “He also suggested that loans can be availed from Industrial Development Bank of India. Now, Palike has a proposal to construct steel bridges near Lalbagh Main Gate and Shivananda Circle,” an official said.When City Express sought to confirm the news, BBMP Engineer-in-chief B T Ramesh said that there was a proposal to construct steel bridges in two locations. However, the exact locations were not finalised yet. When questioned on the increase in traffic issues due to ongoing development works, he replied said that constructing steel bridges will not create any such problems as the bridge can be installed in a day or two.  “Hence, there will be no additional traffic jam due to construction,” he said. Ramesh explained that if the steel bridge was deemed unnecessary at a later point in the future, then the bridge can be easily dismantled and reused.  “Since the price of steel is increasing every year, we will get at least 30 to 40 per cent of the money back if we dismantle,” he said. If the bridges come into existence, it will be first of its kind in Karnataka.