Nothing about the condition of the Dinnur Main Road suggests an arterial road.
The 4.5-km stretch from R.T. Nagar to Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Medical College and Hospital is one of the busiest roads flanked by shops on both sides.
The 40-ft wide road resembles a narrow bylane, although it is a bustling commercial hub with two-way traffic. Commuters have to spend an inordinate time crossing the road while shoppers are forced to traverse long distances after finding a place to park their vehicles owing to lack of parking space on the road.
Adding to the chaos are the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses plying on the narrow road which often lead to traffic gridlocks.
Traffic police have a harrowing time co-ordinating traffic on this road. While they have considered introducing a one-way traffic system, the proposal was dropped for lack of an alternative road.
The proposal to take BMTC buses off the road was also opposed by residents of the area.
This leaves road widening as the only other option. This, too, has been considered. The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had, in 2009, issued a notification to widen the road to an 80-ft double-lane road by acquiring 20 ft on either side.
The BBMP had proposed acquiring land under the Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) scheme. However, land owners in the area resisted the move and the project was dropped.
Shopkeepers say that to acquire additional space on either side of the road would entail pulling down all shops and render the road-widening exercise pointless. Land owners are also opposed to the move owing to the high real estate value in the area. Moreover, they are not happy with the compensation proposed by the BBMP.
Meanwhile, with monsoon round the corner, the potholed road is giving the jitters to motorists. Despite an effort to fill the potholes, pre-monsoon showers have rendered the road to its original state. According to BBMP authorities, the corporation is planning to asphalt the road before the onset of monsoon.
