It has been only a month since the Hennur-Bagalur road was re-laid but the stretch has already turned into a nightmare for commuters. A toxic mix of the rains shoddy work by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), lack of coordination between various agencies has put the lives of bikers at risk.
Motorists and pedestrians face the risk of injuring themselves and damaging their vehicles due to countless potholes in the 7-km odd stretch between Bagalur and the Hennur Flyover. This road is part of the new alternative toll-free route to the airport.
“What the authorities are doing is filling these large potholes with gravel, which gets washed away, bikers are skidding when it rains and the water accumulation makes it hard to gauge the depth and size of the potholes. In some parts, the road just caves in,” said Nadia Zackria, a local resident.
She said the road was fixed in the last week of June only after repeated complaints from commuters and constant media scrutiny.
Ranjith V, another resident, does not feel that the situation will improve.
“There is some work going, but at this pace, I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. It is pathetic at the moment. There is some patchwork being done, but there is no structured way of handling this problem. Even though it is now termed as the International Airport, it is not helping any airport user or local residents as it takes a lot more time to commute through the stretch,” he said.
The condition of the road had deteriorated after it was dug up multiple times by various agencies. Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) laid down pipes for its cooking gas supply, followed by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, which laid out the water connections to bring in water from the Cauvery.
The road was again dug up to install sewerage connections and later a fourth time to make way under the Railway Bridge to install a 62-ft Hanuman statue.
The BBMP Chief Engineer for Major Roads could not be reached for a comment.