JOIN USChikkamarali Cross, on National Highway 7, on the outskirts of Chikkaballapur is located at a dangerous section of the road, and is a witness to several accidents.
On Friday, a lorry carrying condiments strayed off the road, broke through the guard rails and fell into a ditch. The driver and crew escaped with minor injuries. Two weeks earlier, a lorry carrying firewood also veered off the road and overturned.
Faulty construction
The accidents have been blamed on the ‘unscientific’ construction of the connecting road between the Nandi Cross service road and the flyover on national highway. “The faulty construction has places at risking the safety of people and vehicles,” said local residents.
Several farmers in the area had also protested a few days ago against the hazards posed by the roads .
“In spite of repeated requests to the National Highway Authority of India to provide good roads, the connecting road was not constructed in a proper fashion,” said Murthy, a farmer whose land was acquired for the road project.
He added that there are no sign posts along the road connecting Nandi Cross service road to the flyover.
“Many times, the drivers are confused as a result and sometimes they loose control over their vehicles, leading to accidents,” he said. Explaining that accidents were common on the road, he said that more than four lorries have strayed off the road.
“Though a memorandum was submitted to the Authority to adopt safety measures,
no action has been taken,” he said.