For the next few months, commuters across the city will have to brace themselves for traffic snarls and slow moving traffic as various infrastructure works are being taken up. However, if all goes well, citizens can expect the city to wear a new look in a few months’ time.
Inaugurating two major signal-free corridor projects on Saturday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the State government had initiated a series of projects to reduce the traffic problem.
He laid the foundation stone for a signal-free corridor between ASC Centre and Hope Farm Junction and another one from Government Soap Factory Junction to Magadi Road Junction. The cost of the first project has been estimated at Rs. 135.25 crore and the second at Rs. 44.8 crore. He also formally inaugurated the construction of 12 Tender SURE (Specifications for Urban Road Execution) roads, even though work on many of the roads has already begun.
Mr. Siddaramaiah also said the BBMP had assured him that the development of 230 main roads covering 395 km would be completed by December this year. “The government has released Rs. 1,000 crore under Nagarothana scheme for city development. If all projects are completed on time, Bangalore will wear a new look,” he said. He warned of blacklisting contractors, besides initiating strict action, if they failed to deliver quality work within the stipulated time. He said that all civic agencies and companies that undertake road cutting must compulsorily take permission from the BBMP and restore the road to the original state after completing the work on a fast-track basis. Mr. Siddaramaiah said that there is a need for people’s support to solve the garbage crisis. “We have promised that we will stop sending garbage to Mandur in a few months’ time. I will visit the landfill sites in the village on July 26,” he said.
Ministers R. Ramalinga Reddy and K.J. George, city MLAs N.A. Haris and C.N. Ashwath Narayan, Mayor B.S. Sathyanarayana, Deputy Mayor Indira and BBMP Commissioner M. Lakshminarayana were present at the event.
Convoy holds up trafficFor once, on a Saturday afternoon, the street outside one of the city’s most popular malls in Rajajinagar bore a deserted look. Thanks to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s visit to Dr Rajkumar Road to lay the foundation stone for a signal-free corridor project. The other place he visited was Domlur Road.
While Mr. Siddaramaiah, who was accompanied by Ministers, MLAs and officials in a convoy of over a dozen vehicles, made their way to the locations in a jiffy, hassled commuters in several places had to wait for nearly half-an-hour. What was worse, an ambulance too was found stuck on one of the roads.
