Wide plans for the short stretch

Wide plans for the short stretch


Sharan Poovanna First Published : 29 Jul 2010 05:27:35 AM ISTLast Updated : 29 Jul 2010 09:14:06 AM IST
BANGALORE: First came the metro plan on nearby M G Road. Then the traffic followed with the road diversions.
Dickenson Road, which connects M G Road with Ulsoor Road, will now face the horrors of road widening.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) plans to widen the 300-metre stretch of the road between M G Road and Ulsoor Road.
The stretch, which is approximately 18 metres now (including pavement), will be widened to 22 metres.
Property on both sides will have to give about 2 metres of land for this project. This will include commercial establishments, the Manipal Centre, Bescom and a church.
But people using that road disapprove of the widening plan.
“You can make the roads as wide as you want but that will not solve the problem,” said Arun, a cab driver.
He said it takes twice the time to get past the small stretch as there is traffic pouring in from at least four major roads, including one highway (the Old Madras Road).
Prakash Gowda, an employee with a private firm in Manipal Centre, said the beautiful road had lost its charm due to the heavy traffic and incessant digging by the water board.
“I am not sure that this road can take any more traffic,” he said.
According to him, there was a good balance before all this chaos started.
“Cubbon Road eased traffic on M G Road,” he said. “But the alternate has become the main route now.”
Arun said the only solution he saw was that people should start using company vehicles to get to work as much as possible.
As many as 216 roads in the city will come under the BBMP’s bulldozer for widening.