White-topping projects require traffic police clearance, which is not easy to secure, a GBA official said.
Credit: DH File Photo
Bengaluru: Just as Bengaluru's traffic crawls, so do the projects meant to ease the commute.
Nearly two years after approving Rs 2,600-crore worth of works such as white-topping, asphalting, and development of high-density corridors (HDC), progress has barely scratched the surface.
When the now-dissolved Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) was under fire for broken roads two years ago, it identified 600 km of critical stretches for development.
The civic body opened a separate bank account to clear contractor payments on time and ensure faster completion.
Despite providing funds, projects remain far from complete two monsoons later.
Official records show the government finalised selecting construction firms for the Rs 1,700-crore white-topping project in April 2024.
In November 2024, the government completed formalities to implement a Rs 694-crore project for asphalting 390 km of roads.
The development of 109-km of high-density corridors costing Rs 273 crore was approved in December 2023.
An additional Rs 89.3 crore was allocated for maintenance.
Regarding physical progress, the BBMP completed only 21.6 km (about 30 per cent) of the 143.68 km under white-topping.
The asphalting project covered just 20 km against the 390-km target, while the HDC project achieved less than 30 per cent progress.
A senior GBA official cited difficulties in inter-agency coordination as a key obstacle.
"The HDC project suffered delays because it depended on Namma Metro and BWSSB works. On Bannerghatta Road, we had to wait for pipeline work. On the Hebbal-Nagawara stretch, metro construction blocked progress. White-topping projects also require traffic police clearance, which is not easy to secure," he said.
He admitted asphalting work should have been undertaken during the summer, but the window was missed, pushing schedules into monsoon, which further delayed work.
At a review meeting on Saturday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reportedly refused additional grants to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), citing pending works and mounting unpaid bills.
'Lack of focus & fear of losing the job'
Urban expert RK Mishra has expressed disappointment.
"These projects were primarily picked because of the problems citizens faced during past rainy seasons. Yet, engineers have shown no urgency to complete the work. It shows there is a lack of focus and fear of losing the job," he said, adding East Bengaluru would not have suffered as much as it has now had the Rs 694-crore asphalting project been complete.