Work on road linking South to CBD delayed

Redoing the Cottonpet Main Road, the arterial road linking South Bengaluru to Central, under TenderSURE, the BBMP is adding to the city’s mobility woes.

The project, expected to be completed in about eight months, will now take about a year, inconveniencing motorists, pedestrians and traders in the vicinity.

BBMP attributes the delay to the slow pace of work by the stormwater drains (SWD) wing of the civic body.

As the road traverses a secondary stormwater drain, BBMP had to first secure the SWD. “We were all set to start the white-topping and TenderSURE works. But then, the SWD work came in the way,” K T Nagaraj, BBMP’s chief engineer for Project Central, told DH.

The digging and remodelling of the drain along the 1.3 km stretch has affected local residents and traders. Jagadish Raju, a regular, said: “Due to the ongoing work, I have to commute via Corporation Circle.” An engineer said three contractors are executing the project simultaneously. “This is due to renovation of the road’s cable line, stormwater drain and sewage network. The road work will start after the completion of the drain, which is likely to take almost a year. The road had never been renovated since the British era,” he said.

Meantime, the corporation has drawn flak from local residents as the dug up stretch floods frequently. Sewage lines are clogged and a foul smell engulfs the area besides pollution.

Businesses hit

Local vendors and shopkeepers are dissatisfied with the slow pace. “My business has been hit. Cauvery water line to my shop is cut. Nobody is helping,” said Raju, who runs a small bakery.

He said the area smells of faecal matter thanks to open sewage.

Mohan, who runs a small mobile store complained: “There is a lot of dust nowadays. Many are wearing masks to protect themselves.”