BANGALORE: Not just narrow lanes and potholed roads have contributed to the city’s traffic menace. The ongoing construction works across the city are pouring in their share too. Goods Shed Road is one such example.
A three-minute drive to reach the end of the road, now takes 30 minutes. Reportedly, a broken drain below the railway bridge on Binny Mill Road - Goods Shed Road, that runs parallel, is in bad shape, while 200 vehicles travel on this road everyday.
According to sources, traffic woes started here late in January, when Binny Mill Road had to be shutdown for construction purposes. “A major culvert on one of the biggest drains in the area below the railway bridge was damaged.
Following many complaints about the drain causing traffic problems we closed the road.
Though the work had to be completed by March 10, some work is pending,” said a BBMP engineer. While commuters on Binny Mill Road have found a temporary solution, people taking Goods Shed Road don’t seem to be appeased with this solution.
“I regularly travel on Goods Shed Road. Earlier, the drive used to take three minutes to cross the stretch, but now going from one end to another takes 30 minutes,” said S Sundar, a commuter.
Meanwhile, commuters have found alternate routes like Chalwadipalya and Kempapura Agrahara. However, vehicles on Binny Mill Road are being diverted towards Goods Shed Road.
Sources said Goods Shed Road which used to be a shortcut to go to the City Railway Station, now takes hours. Following the increase in traffic density on this narrow road in the last two months, traffic police have pepped up operations. “The road was suppose to be open for public from March 10.
But, the Chief Engineer, BBMP, has sought for some more time to complete the work. Commuters on Goods Shed Road have been facing lots of problems, and are forced to take the parallel road.
Hopefully the work will be completed soon, and the traffic situation will ease out,” said M A Saleem, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic). Continuing the blame-game, BBMP has said that other civic bodies like BWSSB, BESCOM, BSNL too had to finish their work on the stretch, which has further delayed the construction. BWSSB however completed replacing water pipes on the road by February 21.
“The work is close to completion and concrete roads will be laid out soon.
It would however take some time to set this in place,” added the Chief Engineer, BBMP. Commuters only hope that the work will complete soon, easing their daily problem of clogged traffic on the stretch.