Bengaluru: After nearly two years of delays, technical hurdles and sustained public inconvenience, the long-pending Goripalya-Hosahalli railway bridge project has finally been constructed, bringing relief to thousands of commuters who depend on this crucial connectivity corridor in west Bengaluru.The bridge reconstruction was taken up by the railways after officials concluded that the old structure had become weak and had exceeded its usable lifespan.A senior railway official said the tender for the project was floated in 2023 and is now complete. “The bridge was already weak and there was no remaining lifespan for reconstruction. The tender process began in 2023 and the work is now complete. The original cost of the bridge was around Rs 6 crore,” the official said.While the tender stipulated an 18-month completion period, the project soon ran into multiple technical and administrative challenges. Venkat Reddy, contractor and founder of TrenZet Infra Limited, said: “The work order was issued on Jan 5, 2023, but demolition revealed the presence of unauthorised electricity cables laid beneath the bridge. These live KEB cables carried power supply from Vijayanagar to Goripalya and were not formally documented earlier. We did not have permission from the railways to handle them. Laying nine new lines and obtaining approvals took nearly eight months. Because of this, the road had to be closed about six months after Jan 2023, and actual construction could begin only in early 2024.”The demolition work was completed within three weeks, after which construction of the new bridge and its approaches progressed in phases. The project includes nearly 200 metres of approach roads, concrete stretches on the Vijayanagar side, kerb work and installation of 20 streetlights, all executed by the railways. Due to additional work and prolonged delays, the overall project cost increased to approximately Rs 12 crore.Throughout the construction period, residents of Goripalya, Hosahalli and surrounding localities faced severe disruption. Daily commuters were forced to take long detours, traffic congestion worsened during peak hours, and schoolchildren and working professionals were among the worst affected.Former Padarayanapura councillor Imran Pasha said despite the hardship faced by residents, the project was a long-term necessity. He also credited sustained political follow-up for ensuring that the work was completed. “People suffered a lot during the construction period, especially students and daily wage workers. However, this was an essential development. Zameer Ahmed Khan consistently followed up with the departments concerned and ensured that the project did not remain stalled,” he added. Pasha said the inauguration date is yet to be officially confirmed, though it is expected around Jan 31. The event is likely to be attended by Union minister of state for railways V Somanna along with Karnataka housing minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan.
