Bengaluru: White-topping makes people lose their heads
The work has already begun near Adugodi and traffic has been thrown out of gear.
BENGALURU: With just six months left for assembly elections, BBMP has kicked off its biggest white topping project in the city. It has taken up white topping of 5.5 km stretch of Hosur Road, starting from Brigade Road junction till Silk Board.
The work has already begun near Adugodi and traffic has been thrown out of gear.
Residents of the area point out that over 1 lakh vehicles pass by the road in a day and their main concern is ambulances getting stuck in traffic.
With major hospitals like St John's and Narayana Hrudayala located on the stretch, residents say over 50-100 ambulances use the road.
“At present BBMP has started work on one side of the road by retaining some space for vehicles to move on the rest of the road. The already busy road now turns into hell during peak hours,” said Vasudev, a commuter who uses the road to reach his office at Electronic City.
After the works commenced on Hosur Road, it takes an hour to go from Anepalya junction to St John's junction, Vasudev said. He observed that while regular commuters can wait, ambulances cannot. This is an arterial road and hence the work needs to be speeded up and finished at the earliest, he added.
‘Curing takes time’
Mayor When contacted BBMP Mayor Sampath Raj he said, “We are doing our work. Concrete can be laid over the stretch in a matter of few days. But it has to be allowed to cure and water has to poured over it repeatedly. The life span of white topped roads depends primarily on curing. If it isn't done properly then it will not last for a period of 30 years.”
“Even I am aware about the ambulance movement on the stretch. I have directed the traffic police to take necessary steps when ambulances gets stuck in traffic,” the Mayor added.
He said the work will be taken in parts and white topped roads will be free from potholes.