After nightfall, darkness engulfs stretches of the Outer Ring Road (ORR) in Mysuru as streetlights in most stretches are not functioning as they are yet to be electrified because civil works are still in progress.
It being one of the key motorways for not only for locals but also for inter-city commuters (the ORR links major highways connecting important cities), the absence of ample illumination on the road has endangered the safety of commuters, especially women. Though there are streetlights on the entire stretch of ORR, they are functional only on the stretch between Bannur Road and Columbia Asia Hospital Junction on the Bengaluru-Mysuru National Highway .
While some stretches have been widened into six-lane motorway with a service road, work is in progress on the other stretches.The decision to upgrade the ORR into a six-lane road was taken considering the rising vehicular traffic. Once completed (expected to complete in June or July), it is considered to meet projected vehicular movement till 2030. The six-lane ORR project is estimated to cost around Rs. 293.51 crore. The Centre is funding 80 per cent of the project cost while the State government and the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) are contributing the rest. The delay in its completion is being attributed to legal entanglement and technical issues.
Road-widening is being taken up in packages 1, 2, 3 and 5. Work under package 4 – between Bannur Road and Columbia Asia Hospital – has been completed. Though the works are incomplete in some packages, the road was thrown open for traffic unofficially to ease the pressure on roads inside the city.
The work on the missing stretch of ORR between Bannur and Nanjangud Road, measuring 9.14 km, is also in progress.
When contacted, MUDA Commissioner Palaiah told The Hindu that the streetlight poles require fresh wiring and poles are yet to be installed in some stretches of the road.
“Unless the widening project is complete with civil works, it is difficult to take up electrical works. As the works are nearing completion, the wiring work will be done soon and the streetlights will light up the road,” he replied.
To a query on inconvenience being caused to motorists, he said, “We are trying to complete the civil works to facilitate completion of other works.”
Streetlights function only on a portion of the 42-km long motorway
