Kempapura residents face 'jet lag' on road

Kempapura residents face 'jet lag' on road
DH News Service, Bangalore:
The move to provide signal-free connectivity to international airport has resulted in making the lives of Kempapura residents miserable.


The area comprises 16 residential colonies, including the Coffee Board Layout, and has a population of over 50,000. However, the two major roads which serve as the entry points to the area, are in a deplorable state.

Coffee Board Layout Residents’ Welfare Association secretary Hari Kanniah said residents of Kempapura used to turn right at Kempapura Gate to enter Kempapura. “As the centre median has been concreted at Bellary Road, we have to take a ‘U’ turn at Kodigehalli gate from February 25 which adds two more km to the journey. The government has made our life miserable.”

Similarly, vehicle users proceeding towards Yelahanka have to take a detour under the flyover adding two more kms to their journey.

The plight of pedestrians is even more pathetic as it takes them ten to 15 minutes to cross over from either side of the road, said Balu, a representative of the association.

Another major issue is the absence of a proper bridge on Anjanayaswamy temple road. A stone slab bridge over an open drain served as the link to the road from Outer Ring Road, but it got washed away in the 2004 floods.

“Due to the persistent efforts of the association and others, a steel, steep, narrow overbridge was put up on this open drain for the use of pedestrians alone,” said Kanniah. However, there have been no efforts on the part of the administration to make this bridge suitable for motorists, he added.