Bikers squeeze through medians on Mysore Road

While it was already a nightmare commuting on this stretch during peak hours, now, commuters are passing through the gaps between the medians, which are almost two feet in height.
Random placement of medians on Mysore Road adding to  traffic jams Gourav Pratap Mishra
Random placement of medians on Mysore Road adding to traffic jams Gourav Pratap Mishra

BENGALURU: A budget of over Rs 600 crore was allocated to convert 93 km — almost 50 roads — of the city’s major roads to concrete ones, however, work on one particular stretch on Mysore Road, towards Satellite Bus Station, came to a halt four months back.

While it was already a nightmare commuting on this stretch during peak hours, now, commuters are passing through the gaps between the medians, which are almost two feet in height. Now, white topping  work on Mysore Road is half complete on one side, while digging and levelling of the other side of the road has been stalled as permission from the traffic police is needed, said chief engineer, Project Centre, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), KT Nagaraj.

However, owner of a south Indian food joint in the area, said, “It has been months since we have seen construction workers here. They placed the medians in a haphazard manner, beside the existing medians, and bikers try to pass through the gaps, which is dangerous on such a traffic-packed road.”

Median work to be completed in 2-3 months

While weekends aren’t as jam-packed, weekdays see major choking on this stretch. This is due to commuters travelling towards the city trying to pass through the random openings between medians — causing traffic jams.  Many large vehicles also enter and exit the city from the Kengeri side, adding to the traffic. Traffic police at all major choking points towards Nayandahalli, including Satellite, face challenges,they said.  

Referring to the incomplete work on Mysore Road, a traffic official from Byatarayanapura Police Station, said, “The authorities responsible for white topping this road have not completed the work in the given time. They have, instead, abandoned it for now,” he said.

Contradicting the traffic official’s statement, Nagaraj claimed that the BBMP itself has undertaken this work, but the task of placing medians has been given to an external contractor. However, when we contacted this contractor, under the Traffic Engineering Cell, he said, on condition of anonymity, that the median work has been given to Madhucon Ltd. Officials form this agency were unavailable for  comment.
When tenders for this road work were called last year, it was suggested that white topping would be done for major roads that had alternate routes for easy flow of traffic. However, despite Mysore Road having existing alternative routes, the stretch is still choked with traffic.

Nagaraj then hinted that levelling work on Mysore Road will happen soon. “We are yet to have a word with the newly-appointed additional commissioner of traffic, only then road and median work will be taken up. Median work will be completed in two-three months,” said Nagaraj.

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