Clueless in KR Circle

Clueless in KR Circle

BBMP takes up work on pedestrian Underpass at ambedkar veedhi without notice

Ramanujam K & Rohith BR. Bangalore



Vehicle users heading towards Ambedkar Veedhi via Seshadri Road were in for the shock of their life on Saturday morning. Entry to the Ambedkar Veedhi at KR Circle was blocked for motorists coming from Seshadri Road with no-entry barricades being erected at the spot.
The unannounced move by the BBMP literally left the motorists clueless on the alternative routes to take to Ambedkar Veedhi and onwards. There were no diversion boards either.
By the time the motorists could realise that they had to get back into Nrupathunga Road and take the road in front of State Central Library to reach Ambedkar Veedhi, a huge snarl was in place at KR Circle and the situation prevailed through the day.
In fact, the road has been closed for traffic in the opposite direction from Vidhana Soudha side. Motorists coming from Vidhana Soudha towards KR Circle had to get into the MS Building campus and reach Palace Road to move towards their destinations.
Though there was no signboard in place to reveal what exactly was happening, scores of BBMP men and women were digging up the Ambedkar Veedhi in front of the Lokayukta office in MS Building.
Sunday DNA's inquiries revealed that the BBMP had undertaken work to build a magic box pedestrian underpass across Ambedkar Veedhi.
Even though the project is a welcome move, the BBMP's sudden move only ended up confounding motorists and creating chaotic situation at KR Circle.
"It took me more than 30 minutes to reach Vidhana Soudha from K R Circle, which in normal course would have been a three-minute drive," said Lakshmikanth KB, a regular car user along the stretch.
Traffic police said the BBMP had started work on Friday night with prior permission. "We agreed to block the road after the Palike promised to finish the work by Sunday evening," said DCP(Traffic-East) BA Muttanna. When questioned about the lack of direction boards about alternative roads, he said more policemen have been deputed at the spot to facilitate smooth navigation. "The road would be opened to public by Monday morning," he claimed.