A dug-up service road on Bengaluru's Outer Ring Road has once again brought to light the city's chronic coordination failures. During a late-night inspection, officials from multiple agencies could not explain who had carried out the excavation.
Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda stumbled upon the damaged stretch on the night of July 2, while inspecting the Outer Ring Road corridor between Lowry Junction and Silk Board Junction.
During the inspection, he stopped at a section where a newly asphalted service road had been cut. When questioned on who was responsible, officials from the East Bengaluru City Corporation initially said the work had been carried out by BESCOM. However, BESCOM, denied any involvement, leaving officials scrambling to identify who was responsible for cutting open the freshly laid road.
"How did you allow another agency to cut the road .... This looks like it was done by OFC. Get BESCOM’s answer," Krishna Byre Gowda told officials, Times of India reported.
The inspection began at around 10.30 pm and continued until 1.30 am. Senior officials from the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), Bengaluru Traffic Police, Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), BESCOM and other departments accompanied the minister.
A day later, Krishna Byre Gowda convened the second meeting of the GBA's executive committee to address the issue. The committee, set up to improve coordination among civic and infrastructure agencies in Bengaluru, includes representatives from the city's five corporations, BWSSB, BESCOM, Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation, BMRCL, Bengaluru Development Authority, K-RIDE, traffic police and the fire and emergency services department.
The minister said that Bengaluru's residents have complained for years about roads being laid only to be dug up again by another agency carrying out utility work.
To prevent such situations, the government plans to create a unified GIS-based digital platform that will map roads, underground utilities, streetlights and all ongoing civic projects across agencies. Departments will have to upload details of proposed works and execution plans before commencing projects so that different agencies can coordinate activities in advance.
The platform is also expected to provide a public interface through which residents can report civic issues such as potholes and monitor the status of repair work.
Gowda said the use of technology and greater coordination between agencies would help reduce disruption to residents and improve the efficiency of civic works in Bengaluru.
The minister's inspection was also aimed at reviewing plans for the proposed redevelopment of the 17.1-km Outer Ring Road corridor between Silk Board Junction and Baiyappanahalli Metro Station under the B-SMILE initiative.
The state government is considering a comprehensive makeover of the corridor at an estimated cost of Rs 400 crore to Rs 450 crore. The project proposes a redesign of footpaths, service roads, bus bays, medians, stormwater drains and junctions along one of Bengaluru's busiest roads.
However, Gowda said the project's final design would only be prepared after consultations with residents, Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA) and other stakeholders.
The government plans to seek feedback from residents, commuters, businesses, pedestrians and cyclists before freezing the design.
"The project aims to upgrade one of Bengaluru's busiest corridors to global standards by redesigning footpaths, service roads, bus bays, medians, stormwater drains and junctions," the minister said, adding that traffic bottlenecks would first be identified and public feedback incorporated before the project is finalised, a Moneycontrol report said.
The proposed redevelopment has also raised concerns among regular users of the Outer Ring Road, many of whom want the work to begin only after the Namma Metro’s Blue Line becomes operational to avoid further disruption to traffic. Authorities are currently targeting trial runs on the metro's KR Pura-Marathahalli section and, if possible, up to HSR Layout by October 2026.
During the inspection, Gowda also reviewed the ongoing drive to clear footpath encroachments and issued directions to repair damaged service roads, shift low-hanging BESCOM cables and maintain a uniform design throughout the corridor.
The report added that at Doddanekundi Junction, the minister expressed anger over the condition of service roads that had been dug up soon after resurfacing.
"Do you see people dying? Do we have to come and beg you to do your work?" he asked officials, directing them to immediately restore the damaged roads and initiate action against agencies that had carried out excavations without permission.
He also ordered officials to identify those responsible for repeated road cutting and ensure that restoration work is completed without delay.
The minister issued several location-specific instructions to ease congestion along the corridor. Officials at Doddanekundi Junction were asked to prepare a decongestion plan and examine the possibility of building a flyover similar to the one at Shivananda Circle.
At Kodibeesanahalli Junction, authorities were directed to test temporary traffic management measures and improve turning radii before adopting successful interventions permanently. At Devarabeesanahalli Junction, officials were asked to implement measures to ease congestion.
Near Bellandur Ecospace, Gowda directed authorities to relocate a major BWSSB pipeline, develop the adjoining rajakaluve, widen the road and extend the service road up to the skywalk. At Iblur Junction, he instructed officials to expedite plans for a new flyover to improve traffic movement.