JOIN USThe footpath on MG Road will get a facelift after a gap of more than two decades. The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike will redo the whole stretch on the lines of the footpath on Vittal Mallya Road.
According to the officials in the Engineering department of the Palike, the footpath was never relaid completely. It was only maintained in patches. In fact, no documents are available with the civic agency for maintaining the footpath. Now, the work will begin from March, along with footpaths on eight other roads in the City.
“The footpath is very old and has been maintained only in patches. It will be relaid under TenderSURE project. The underground drains will also be repaired and greenery will be created on the road, at a cost of around Rs 4.5 crore,” BBMP Executive Engineer Narasimharaju told Deccan Herald. Barricades and grills will be erected all along the stretch.
The remodelling of footpaths will also be taken up on Infantry Road, Residency Road, Richmond Road, Commissionerate Road, Museum Road, part of Vittal Mallya Road after UB City and St Mark’s Road. The whole project is estimated to cost around Rs 200 crore, he added.
While the work on these stretches will commence in about a week, final approval is awaited from Road Infrastructure Department of the Palike to start the work on MG Road footpath.
The engineer said that the whole stretch had been spoilt over the years due to commercial activities, laying of cables and other construction. Noted historian Arun Prasad said that installing lampposts, grills and casts which were present during the British era, could bring back some element of heritage for the famed road.
Revathy Ashok, Managing Trustee and Chief Coordination Officer, Bangalore Political Action Committee, said that the present quality of footpaths in City was very bad.“We have good architects who can blend history and contemporary look to make the MG Road footpath look attractive, animated and filled with activities similar to the Metro patch,” she said.
She added that the UB City footpath stretch has been scientifically created and shows how a footpath in Bangalore should be. The plan and design is already before BBMP and hence the development will be faster and economical too. It should also be ensured that the ongoing or future construction activities on MG Road do not spoil the footpath.