How not to spoil a well-constructed flyover

The Mysore flyover has turned a nightmare for commuters and Thursday’s rain only made it worse on the key stretch. The flyover that starts near KR Market is badly maintained with too many humps which are dotted by potholes.

Accidents are a common occurrence here and traffic virtually crawls.  Jairaj A, an autorickshaw driver who frequents this road, says, “This flyover, though very wide, has huge potholes on every hump. These potholes are filled with water during rain and two-wheeler riders have a tough time negotiating them. I have seen many two-wheeler riders falling down while riding. It becomes very difficult to balance the vehicle, even when one is riding at a minimum speed.”

‘Slows down traffic’

“This is a well-constructed flyover, unlike the Richmond Road flyover or many others, where only one vehicle can pass at a time. It is very sad that they have constructed so many humps that slow down traffic here,” says B Ravi, a commuter.

Many people have started avoiding this road.  “I usually go through the Bapujinagar Road to pick my wife from her parents’ house, though it is shorter to go through the main road. The potholes are unpredictable and when they are filled with water you cannot judge their depth. When two-wheeler riders apply brakes just before the potholes, there are high chances of buses and four-wheelers hitting them from behind,” says B R Nataraj, a postal employee.

Many woes

There are major traffic problems caused due to potholes that resemble craters. Even buses struggle to get past them.

Gurusiddappa, a traffic policeman at the Mysore Road tollgate junction, says, “It has been two to three years since the road was left unrepaired. I have seen so many accidents happening in front of my eyes. It is a mess here with people trying to take U-turns on either side of the roads, trying to negotiate the potholes. The rains have made the road very slushy, otherwise it is dusty.”

Another problem is the drains that are being laid on either side of Mysore Road.
V C Bindu, owner of KK Stores near the graveyard on Mysore Road, says, “This work has been going on for the past six months. The drain has been constructed only on this side of the road.”

In bad shape

The road leading to Srinagar from Mysore Road is in a bad shape with stones piled up on the middle of the road. The Nayandahalli junction connecting to Mysore, Nagarabhavi, KR Market and Banashankari is also in a very bad shape.