Vegetation and Cracks on KR Puram Cable-Stayed Bridge Spark Safety Concerns

The emergence of vegetation from concrete cracks, signs of moisture ingress, and reinforcement corrosion on the KR Puram cable-stayed bridge have raised concerns over structural safety and regular maintenance in Bengaluru. The structure, which spans over the Krishnarajapuram railway station, has seen visible root growth spreading across its retaining-wall surfaces.

Commissioned in 2003, the four-lane, 106-metre cable-stayed bridge is one of the city's key infrastructure links along the eastern corridor. Senior officials from the Bengaluru East City Corporation noted that while the municipal corporation is responsible for maintaining the bridge surface, the structural components extending above the railway tracks fall under the jurisdiction of the railway department.

Experts warned that the visible plant growth points to deeper structural vulnerabilities. Chandrashekar Sharma, General Manager (Technical) at STRUCT REHAB Pvt Ltd, said that vegetation emerging through structural or retaining concrete indicates cracks, voids, joints, or porous concrete where moisture has entered. He noted that expanding root systems progressively widen these openings and trap moisture, accelerating concrete deterioration.

A senior engineer from the Greater Bengaluru Authority's Road Infrastructure wing noted that the bridge was designed for traffic and load conditions of the early 2000s. Since then, the surrounding corridor has undergone significant urban expansion, subjecting the structure to far heavier traffic and continuous stress.

The engineer called for immediate Structural Health Monitoring of the bridge, emphasising that an assessment should move beyond visual inspection. A comprehensive evaluation would measure the structure's present load-carrying capacity, concrete strength, extent of corrosion, depth of carbonation, condition of stay cables, bearings, expansion joints, foundation, and potential structural deformation against its original design assumptions.

Sharma also advocated for a structured city-wide maintenance programme to systematically evaluate aging bridges, flyovers, and railway overbridges across Bengaluru, shifting away from temporary, complaint-driven fixes toward periodic engineering inspections and rehabilitation.