Misery on Bannerghatta Road to end by March

Misery on Bannerghatta Road to end by March
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: The commuters on Bannerghatta Road can expect a fast and smooth ride by the end of this fiscal, if one goes by the pace of work and promises made by the state Public Works Department.

Goaded by IIM-B (Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore) students’ rasta-roko in October this year to create awareness on the hopeless state of the road, PWD officials have initiated works coordinating with various other departments including BESCOM, BWSSB and the Forest Department.

‘‘The work has started and is progressing at a rapid pace. We have already widened and asphalted a one-km stretch near the IIM-B and would be able to finish the entire stretch of four km by February-March,’’ said Venkatesh, assistant executive engineer in charge of the road.

Now the repair works are being done during night hours considering heavy traffic during day time. ‘‘We would be able to speed up works once we create the median and divert traffic onto one side so that work could progress even during day time,’’ he said.

BESCOM works on the road are almost over, according to the officials, and the subsidiary works of the BWSSB are also progressing. The BWSSB has commenced work to shift the major Cauvery water pipeline on the narrow culvert at Bilekahalli to remove the bottleneck,’’ he said.

‘‘About 12 more trees have to be cut as part of road widening works and the Forest Department has taken the necessary initiatives,’’ Venkatesh said.

Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh had already promised that commuters on Bangalore roads would have little to complain after February 2005.