Bengaluru: The construction of a railway underbridge on TC Palya Main Road is still going on, though it started over 15 months ago.
The project which was expected to ease traffic, is now leading to major traffic jams in the area, apart from increasing the travel distance by 2-3 km. The project still has 40% of the works pending.
“There is a lack of coordination between state and central governments, which is causing the delay. When many agencies are involved in a project, like this one, synchronisation among them is always an issue. This is not the first time or the last time. This will continue in the future too,” said civic evangelist V. Ravichandar.
Several shops along the road have shut because of lack of business. But traders still hope that the construction will be completed soon, and their businesses will see profit. Manjunath (42), a retailer, said, “Earlier, when people travelled on this road, they would stop and buy something. But since the road leads nowhere, our business has come down by nearly half. We are waiting for the completion of the underpass so that we can retrieve what we have lost.”
The underpass was supposed to ease the commute for vehicle users, but has only added to their woes. “I drop my kids to school every day. Before the construction of the under bridge, it took me 30 minutes, but now it takes more than one hour. Also, because of heavy traffic on TC Palya Main Road, my kids often get late,” said Ramachandraiah (63), a resident of Horamavu.
Mayor Sampath Raj said “All these projects will be completed within three months.” He refused to answer a query as to why the project was delayed in the first place.
Area residents said that the local MLA and other officials visited the spot recently, and promised them early completion of works. “We question them and complain to them, but nothing happens,” they said.
