Widening of Uttarahalli main road road in Kengeri keeps getting delayed. The Bhruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) says it lacks funds.
Bangalore: Daily commuters and residents find it difficult to commute on the Uttarahalli main road in Kengeri as the widening work of the road started by BBMP has been paused. BBMP officials said that the project will be completed by July 2024.
Ravi, Assistant Executive Engineer of Road and Infrastructure, BBMP, said, “The road widening work is going on from Mysore Road to Aditya Bakery. We are widening the road by 24 meters and the work is getting late because we require permission from the forest department.”
The work started in February 2022. Ravi admitted that they were receiving complaints from apartments in the area. However, he said, “we assured them that we will complete the black topping by January 2024.”
Bhabarlal, who commutes on the Uttarahalli Road, said, “I have been using the road for two years and for the past two years the road’s condition has been bad. You can’t walk on this road without wearing a mask. There is so much dust on the road due to incomplete construction work and the vehicles on the road also blow dust .”
Pavan, a daily commuter on the road and an IT professional, said he was fortunate that he had a good motorcycle.,“For those who have a normal bike without good suspension it is difficult to ride fast on this road .” He added that he wears a mask while using this road.
Mamta, a vendor who sells small electrical gadgets on the roadside complained about the dust. She said, “It is difficult for us to sit on this road because of the dust. We face problems and fewer customers stop to buy things. But I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
Moniesh, Executive Engineer of Road and Infrastructure, BBMP, said, “The road widening project is getting delayed because the government has not released the funds for the work.”
He said, “The plan was to make the road wide for the convenience of the commuters but there was a stay order from the High Court as the private school situated nearby has not permitted to use their school land or property.”
Commuters complain about the dust and poor condition of the Uttarahali road
Vikram Bhat, principal architect and urban planner at Urbansynthesis, said, “Any inconvenience about road connectivity will make commuting slow and risky. As this road is connected to the BGS hospital the authorities should focus on finishing the widening process as soon as possible. The condition of the road is not favourable for patients who use this road for reaching the hospital.”
He added that two-wheelers can skid on the sharp stones on the road and suggested using white topping in road construction. “It will reduce the cost of maintenance and will make the roads fit for long term use.”
He also said that the dust caused by under-construction roads can lead to health issues and add to air pollution.
