Hasty patchwork to fill potholes poses grave danger to bikers in city

Civic authorities may have filled potholes along a large part of arterial and sub-arterial roads, but the hasty patchwork have made roads uneven and dangerous.

While a few stretches have been neatly asphalted with bituminous concrete, most roads bear temporary patchwork that proves to be tricky for two-wheeler riders.

In the light of the recent high court directive to ensure all roads in the BBMP limits are pothole-free, DH recently visited a few major streets, including Bannerghatta Road, Mysuru Road, Sarjapur Main Road and Magadi Road, to take stock of the ground reality. These trunk roads, minus the patchworks, are relatively in good shape as compared to interior roads.

Some of the patched-up roads are Vellara Junction (towards Hosur Road), Adugodi and Koramangala (towards Sarjapur Main Road), Agara flyover, Bannerghatta Main Road (near Hulimavu Lake), Magadi Main Road (near Prasanna Theatre and Sunkadakatte), Chord Road (near Deepanjali Nagar metro station), parts of Old Madras Road and Tumakuru Road (near Goraguntepalya metro station).

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While large vehicles may traverse through these “motorable” roads relatively hassle-free, bikes and scooters stumble in the tarred and “repaired” parts with sharp edges. Concrete dumps, apparently a spillage from concrete-mixing vehicles, were visible on JP Nagar Main Road and Hosur Road, etc.

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL), which is responsible for the upkeep of Bannerghatta Road, has not asphalted the road wherever it has removed the barricades to increase the road space.

Chairing a meeting on Bengaluru-related issues recently, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had directed senior BBMP officials to fill up all potholes and attend to road distress.

Bommai had also assured speedy approvals for the Rs 600-crore project aiming to fix 392 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads that are in bad shape.

Road engineering expert Prof M N Sreehari said the temporary patchwork often fails to provide any succor to motorists.

“BBMP engineers must think of all road users while undertaking repair roads. Patchwork, done unscientifically, is not a remedy but ends up being a permanent solution,” he said.