NHAI sets up panel for safety inspection of Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway

A three-member committee of road safety experts has begun a safety inspection of the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway.

The committee comprises Sudershan Kumar Popli, Adviser, Road Safety; Praveen Kumar, Deputy General Manager, Road Safety Office, Bengaluru, and Jaivardhan Singh from Project Implementation Unit, Sohna, an National Highways Authority (NHAI) said.

The committee is visiting the site and will conclude the inspection by July 20. It will submit the report within 10 days after the conclusion of the visit, the NHAI said in a statement on Tuesday.

Also Read | Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway: 100 fatal accidents since inauguration

The 118-km-long expressway has seen 132 fatal accidents since January this year, including over a hundred since March 12, the day it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Investigators say the high accident risk is a combination of topographical conditions and human error. They also flag insufficient signage and boards with instructions.

The NHAI said improving safety on national highways was one of its topmost priorities and it was committed to ensuring a safe, smooth and seamless travel experience for all commuters.

According to the NHAI, it engaged state-of-the-art technologies in building the highway, which has boosted commerce and acted as a catalyst for the socio-economic development of the region. “The highway has cut travel time between the two cities by almost half to just 75 minutes. The highway is a testimony to India’s rapidly transforming road infrastructure and the NHAI’s commitment to creating a world-class national highway network,” it added.

NHAI Regional Officer Vivek Jaiswal said: “We have undertaken a lot of measures in the last two years to make this highway safer. The constitution of the committee is part of that initiative.”

Another official said the NHAI would take steps based on the committee’s recommendations.

The highway has four rail overbridges, nine significant bridges, 40 minor bridges, 89 underpasses and overpasses. It also links Karnataka with Tamil Nadu and Kerala, decongesting Kodagu, Srirangapatna, Wayanad and Ooty.