Why Bengaluru’s ‘Stonehenge’ Ejipura flyover is still a distant dream despite July deadline

One of Bengaluru’s long-pending projects, the Ejipura flyover, was slated for completion by this July. However, with authorities yet to finish the land acquisition process, the 2.38-km elevated corridor that was to streamline the heavy traffic flow in the city may continue to remain a distant dream.

In December of last year, Maheshwar Rao, Chief Commissioner, Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), said that the flyover—termed ‘Stonehenge’ because of its half-built pillars standing idle for years—would be completed by July this year. However, the land acquisition process is still on.

“We have a tentative schedule for completion set to July of this year. We are still in the process of acquiring the total land required for project completion. Discussions are on to acquire the total 8799.70 square metres required for the project,” Raghavendra Prasad, Chief Engineer, GBA, who is also responsible for the flyover work, told The Indian Express.

Work on the flyover began in 2017 when the Congress was in power, but was stalled for nearly five years during the BJP’s tenure (2019-2023). Work resumed in November 2023 after the Congress returned to power. Originally slated for completion by November 4, 2019, at an estimated cost of Rs 203.20 crore, the project’s cost has now skyrocketed to Rs 1,761 crore.

Trolled for its delay, termed as a monument in the past, the Ejipura flyover was recently in the news after a user on X posted about getting two customised fridge magnets made, with one on the unfinished project.

Got 2 custom fridge magnets done 😄 After contemplating for quite a bit between Basavanagudi, Jayanagar, and Bengaluru, I decided to go ahead with Basavanagudi, because it is ❤️ Also since I’ve had a loooonngggg association with the Ejipura flyover, had to get this done 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/zvRsZNSLQs

The post read, “Got 2 custom fridge magnets done After contemplating for quite a bit between Basavanagudi, Jayanagar, and Bengaluru, I decided to go ahead with Basavanagudi, because it is Also since I’ve had a loooonngggg association with the Ejipura flyover, had to get this done.”

Rajesh M K, who hails from Kerala and has lived in Bengaluru for over a decade, noted the recent shift in momentum but remains doubtful about the upcoming deadline. “I have seen observable changes in the construction, and it has been speeding up in the past few months, but I do not think it can be completed by the end of June,” he said.

For those living in the vicinity, the prolonged timeline has become a part of daily life. “Construction has been going on for so long without any end,” said Rama M V, a resident of Koramangala, hoping that it would get completed in a year or so.

J P Nagar resident Ananya Kulkarni was not as hopeful. “July is an outrageous deadline. I feel like it is never going to get completed…(it will) stand as a monument to the failure of Bengaluru’s municipal history. I was in school when the flyover construction began. Now, I have two degrees to my name, and I am a working professional. They have just restarted work,” she said.

Sathvi G Bhat is an intern with The Indian Express.

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