It's an obstacle course on busy Kasturba Road

Unending road widening work inconveniences motorists, pedestrians

Kasturba Road in Bangalore which was widened but remain unfinished for a long resulting in public had to use only a part of the road. Photo: K. Gopinathan

One of the busiest roads in the city's central business district, Kastruba Road has been in a state of disrepair for long, causing inconvenience to both pedestrians and motorists. Dug up for road widening work, motorists find it difficult to manoeuvre their vehicles while pedestrians find they are on an obstacle course with the narrowing of the footpath.

If a dangerously protruding stone slab next to the Cubbon Park Police Station threatens motorists, the dilapidated condition of the footpath renders it useless for pedestrians. This is more apparent in front of the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM) that attracts hundreds of visitors, mostly schoolchildren.

Problem for students

“It is very difficult for children to walk on this road, and more so for those using the road between VITM and Cubbon Park. There is no footpath and children are forced to walk on the portion of the extended road that is metalled now,” a security guard manning a complex on Kasturba Road, said.

While kerbstones of the footpath that existed months before are still jutting out in some places, the slabs over the drainage are missing, and the stretch between VITM and Queen's Circle still has problems. “We see pedestrians and motorists struggling, especially at night and during rain,” a tea vendor said and added that the work has been extremely slow.

Cause of delay

According to sources in Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the work order was issued nearly two years ago, but was delayed initially due to issues related to land acquisition.

However, the work started nearly a year ago, but at a tardy pace.

Acknowledging the delay that has caused hardship to citizens, a senior official in the BBMP told The Hindu that work had been delayed by the contractor following which the civic body was in the process of cancelling the contract.

New contractor?

“Just about 12 per cent of the work has been completed while sub-standard work has also been noticed. We have sought cancellation of the tender,” the official said.

He also indicated that the work could now be handed over to the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Ltd. (KRIDL) for completion after seeking approval from the BBMP council.