Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway has been surrounded by problems since its inauguration.
From congestion to accidents, the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway is being criticized by commuters for the number of problems it has faced in just over two months of its inauguration.
A Deccan Herald article states, “ The highway had a blockage, and vehicles moving from Mysuru to Bengaluru faced traffic jams as the elevated expressway winds down at Kengeri, near Rajarajeswari Medical College and Hospital.” The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) stated in an article that it is aware of the problems and is ready to give a solution if Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagarika Palike (BBMP) or the state government bears the cost of land acquisition in Kengeri.
Moreover, commuters complained that all the time saved by the expressway is lost around the congested Nice Road Junction.
In an article, it was reported that hundreds of vehicles that exit Nice Road at Kengeri take a left, and merge with the traffic coming from Bengaluru city, creating congestion. The confused commuters then slow down to check if they must take the flyover or go below, creating a block.
While the project has significantly reduced travel time, problems affected the route, which people (who are these people) say could have been avoided had the project has been planned with vision and toll collection been stalled till the service road is fully complete.
Accidents
The NHAI project director B Sridhar in an article (link) says, “Over speeding and negligent driving is the only reason for accidents. According to NHAI guidelines, the maximum speed in expressway is limited to 100 KMPH,”
A commuter on a query online said that they were not sure what actions NHAI was going to take to reduce/prevent accidents on this e-way. They also said that whatever the measures are, it has to include education of both the locals and tourists on road safety.
The commuter further said that steep fines for over-speeding, mobile usage, picture-takers, and jay-parkers should be imposed.
Water logging
The expressway that was built at Rs 8480 crores saw floods, in less than a week after it was inaugurated, because of heavy rains on March 18.
. The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued an official statement regarding the deplorable condition of the highway and said that villagers blocked the drain path near the Ramanagara stretch where the water logging was observed.
Business in distress
In an article by The Hindu, the local craftsmen and business owners state that there are no exits from the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway to towns like Channapatna, Ramanagara, and Bidadi, and this is causing harm to their businesses.
A hotel owner in Bidadi said that he has lost 70 percent of his business. He said, before the expressway he used to have more than 3000 people coming into the hotel but now are hardly any travelers.
In another article, A toy shop owner in Channapatna said that the main customers for his toys were highway passengers. He used to have good business on weekends and holidays but now, there are no customers. He demands that the government should think about the future of artisans and shopkeepers, and make provisions for them on the e-way.
