Though the woes of road users arising out of Namma Metro construction on West of Chord (WoC) Road have subsided considerably, the ongoing construction sites of metro stations along this road continue to pose danger to motorists.
After completing the viaduct construction at many places between Magadi Road Toll Gate and Attiguppe, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) has removed barricades placed on WoC Road median that covered the construction site.
The scaffolding at metro station construction sites occupies more than half of the available road space. The space below has shrunken just enough for a bus to pass through even as the danger of a vehicle brushing or hitting the scaffolding at night-time is very real.
The stretch of WoC Road has four metro stations — Toll Gate, Hosahalli (to be renamed Vijayanagar), Vijayanagar (to be renamed Attiguppe) and Deepanjalinagar.
While the road is closed to traffic near Toll Gate Station, the one beneath Hosahalli station is slightly better while that beneath Vijayanagar and Deepanjalinagar has worsened.
Vijeta, a resident of RPC Layout, said riding a two-wheeler near Vijayanagar Station has become a nightmare, particularly at night.Vijayanagar MLA M. Krishnappa, in whose constituency this stretch falls, told The Hindu his several letters to the BMRCL Managing Director to improve the condition of road, WoC as well as Mysore Road, have fallen on deaf ears. “People in my constituency have constantly been complaining about bad roads, dust, slush and accidents because of the metro work. However, BMRCL has been indifferent not only to public protests but also the area legislator's letters,” he said.
Constant repairs
In response, a senior BMRCL official said the contractor periodically repairs the road below. But because of heavy traffic on the narrow stretch and the rains, the road gets damaged frequently.
The roads near Deepanjalinagar and Vijayanagar stations will be repaired soon, he added.
To avoid inconvenience to road users near the Vijayanagar station, the traffic could be diverted to the service road (towards Mysore Road).
If the situation does not improve, WoC Road's carriageway towards Mysore Road would be blocked before diverting vehicles on the service road, he added.
