After months of undergoing a makeover followed by white-topping, work on Commercial Street is finally completed, much to the relief of traders and store owners. The authorities will take a call on when to allow motorists to use the newly laid stretch on Monday. P. Rajendra Cholan, managing director of Bengaluru Smart City Ltd. (BSCL), which undertook the project, told The Hindu that a decision would be taken after consultations with traders and other stakeholders.
The BSCL had taken up the relaying of the road, one of the more popular shopping destinations in the city, at cost of ₹5.5 crore in May 2020. In July 2021, the road was officially inaugurated but the BSCL was called out for “shoddy work” after the colourful tiles and cobblestones started wearing out within days. As a corrective measure, the authorities decided to white-top the road.
“Along with Commercial Street, the reconstruction of the surrounding road such as Dispensary Road has been completed. We will get feedback from all the stakeholders prior to allowing the motorists to use the road,” Mr. Cholan said.
Sanjay Motwani, president of Bengaluru Commercial Association, said, “The completion of the roadworks is a relief for shopkeepers as well as customers. Inconvenience is inevitable when construction work happens. We had seen a drop in footfall, which was also because of the pandemic. Now that the road is ready, both customers and the shopkeepers would benefit.” Mr. Motwani said 480 shops run business on either side of Commercial Street.
