K.R.Puram-ITPL stretch, 'farce of a road'

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, SEPT. 21. Mahadevpura, part of the extended urban sprawl of Bangalore, is without a safe and usable road for some weeks now.

A road which has turned into a quagmire after the recent rains and heavy vehicles which get stuck in the mud or overturn are frequent sights around Mahadevpura, which has a City Municipal Council. Ironically, it is close to the hitech International Tech Park Ltd., (ITPL), which is said to be Bangalore's match for Singapore and a place visited by foreign dignitaries and businessmen.

Part of the reason for the condition of the road (Old Madras Road) is the work now going on for the grade separator on the Outer Ring Road, according to the Greater Bangalore Industries Association (GBIA).

Because of the work going on, lorries and other heavy vehicles pass through this stretch of the road, which connects Bellary Road and Hosur Road and the road has just not been designed for this volume of heavy traffic. This road is also the main link between the City and Whitefield Road. Whitefield has now become an industrial suburb with nearly 200 companies, including 100 per cent EoUs employing thousands of people from the City. Returning home after work has become a nightmare for them, especially after dusk.

In spite of the heavy traffic, the stretch of the Old Madras Road from Tin Factory to Whitefield Road remains in a deplorable state. The construction of the cable-stayed bridge at Krishnarajapura has left practically no space for heavy vehicles, according to the residents.

Mr. Sharath Chandra Prasad, President of GBIA, says: ``The road from the K.R.Puram bridge towards ITPL is a humiliation even for pedestrians. It is a farce of a road''.

The GBIA has complained that the contractors entrusted with the road work have not worked early enough to prepare the road for the rainy season and the local police have not bothered to properly direct the traffic. No temporary bypass has been provided along the stretch of road under repair. The result has been frequent traffic snarls and accidents. On Thursday evening, a truck almost overturned on this road while on Friday a private bus taking people from an industry crashed into a compound wall.

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Section  : Southern States
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