Bengaluru: Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) chief commissioner M Maheshwar Rao Monday directed officials to mark the land required at St John’s Medical College Hospital and begin construction of five portal piers for the Ejipura flyover.The directive followed a meeting with traffic police and hospital representatives to resolve land-related hurdles affecting the project. A small portion of the hospital’s land—on the left side of Ejipura Main Road when coming from Kendriya Sadan—will be temporarily used to install portal piers along the footpath adjoining the hospital’s compound wall. After discussions, St John’s management agreed to allow the temporary use of the space.Rao instructed engineers and contractors to demarcate the area and commence work immediately. Barricades will be installed to ensure safety, and space will be allocated for storing construction materials. The hospital’s compound wall will be rebuilt once the work is completed.“We aim to complete the flyover by June. Most landing and alignment challenges are manageable. Of the 762 segmental girders, 170 have been cast, and at the current pace of 45 girders per month, the remaining work should be finished in 2–3 months, by July at the latest,” Rao said. “We have consulted all stakeholders, and given the land acquisition issues, there are no technical alternatives. The flyover design, including its turning onto the main road, will be executed carefully.“
