Peenya Flyover Update: Heavy Vehicles To Be Permitted Soon During Daytime Only

Heavy vehicles will soon be permitted on the Peenya flyover, with the exception of nighttime hours, according to reports. This restriction is deemed necessary to prevent vibrations during the ongoing cement grouting works, as explained by Prof Chandra Kishen J M from the civil engineering department at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

Prof Kishen, who leads a four-member expert committee studying the flyover's condition, stated that the committee has proposed prohibiting vehicles on the flyover between 11 pm and 6 am. However, a final decision on this matter is pending. He emphasized the current closure of the flyover to light vehicles at night, noting a desire to maintain this arrangement.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is working with the traffic police to finalize the timings for the restrictions, Prof Kishen added.

The 15-meter-wide, 4.2-km-long flyover on Tumakuru Road has been closed to buses and trucks since December 2021 due to corrosion-related issues with its prestressed cables. This closure has significantly impacted traffic flow below, leading to daily jams. Last year, NHAI initiated a Rs 38.5-crore repair project to strengthen the flyover by adding two additional cables to each span and stressing them. With 120 spans, NHAI has added 240 prestressed cables. In January, NHAI conducted load tests on these cables, with the results deemed satisfactory by the committee.

NHAI began replacing over 1,243 prestressed cables in March to prevent future corrosion-related problems. This process involves de-destressing, removing, and replacing the cables. Prof Kishen explained that the work includes cement grouting, requiring five to six hours per span. The complete replacement of all 1,243 cables is expected to take between nine months and a year.

Vilas P Brahmankar, NHAI's Bengaluru Regional Officer, stated that the committee has certified the flyover as "technically sound" and has asked the traffic police to establish a standard operating procedure (SOP) for allowing heavy vehicles. He mentioned that they are awaiting a response from the traffic police.

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