SWR approves Kengeri-Hejjala railway underpass, greenlights BDA’s proposal in two weeks

Bengaluru: The South Western Railway (SWR) has given the green light for the construction of a new railway underpass connecting the Kengeri and Hejjala stations.

This development comes after the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) sought permission to build a six-lane major arterial road through the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout, linking Magadi and Mysuru roads.

The SWR swiftly approved the request on May 30, just two weeks after the BDA submitted it.

"Structural drawing of RCC box, thrust bed, retaining wall and height gauge with foundation and design calculations duly proof checked by the Indian Institute of Technology or Indian Institute of Science (IIT/IISc) shall be submitted to this office at the earliest,” the SWR’s letter states.

Members of the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout Open Forum (NPKL), a collective of site allottees, expressed their satisfaction with the BDA’s clearance.

"Similar work, which comes under Namma Metro’s ambit, is already complete, but the BDA had not timed the project well,” Surya Kiran from the forum said.

Tenders for the railway underpass construction were floated in March last year. “Had the BDA taken the approval prior to floating the tenders, the RUB would have been operational already. We hope the BDA will complete the work at the earliest and open the major arterial road — which is almost ready — to the public,” he said.