A worker undertakes road patching on the busy Mysuru Road. But such repairs may not withstand heavy volumes of traffic.
Credit: DH Photo/Pushkar V
Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will begin relaying 197 roads across the city from November.
Faced with an increase in demand to fix the deteriorating road conditions, the BBMP has unveiled a plan to resurface 459.25 kilometers of roads at an estimated cost of Rs 659.71 crore. It has adjusted its government-approved annual budget to accommodate this new roadworks, it is learnt.
Most of the work will involve asphalting roads, with a few projects focused on repairing footpaths and culverts. The BBMP plans to spend approximately Rs 1.43 crore per kilometer of work.
Relaying work will be done on service roads along Nagarbhavi Ring Road, the stretch from Kamakhya Junction to Veerabadranagar, RV Road to Kanakapura main road, Dr Vishnuvardhan main road, Nayandahalli to Hosakerehalli, Kogilu-Kannur double road, Central Silk Board to Iblur service road, Hulimavu-Begur Road, Bellandur Road, Kasavanahalli Road, Balagere main road, Junnasandra Road, and Kadugodi main road, among others.
Priority to outer areas
In a shift from its routine practice, roads outside the Central Business District (CBD) areas will undergo repair work.
For instance, the Mahadevapura constituency alone has received Rs 180 crore for resurfacing 124 kilometers of road. Similarly, substantial funds have been allocated to Bommanahalli, KR Puram, RR Nagar and Yelahanka.
On the other hand, East, West, and South divisions that collectively encompass 18 assembly constituencies have received Rs 137.76 crore. This could also be due to better road conditions within the Outer Ring Road limits as compared to the city’s more peripheral areas.
BBMP’s Chief Engineer, BS Prahlad, confirmed that the project will be funded entirely through the civic body’s internal revenue sources. “We anticipate starting the work either in November or December,” he said.
The BBMP had not allocated funds for asphalting of roads in its 2024-25 budget, which was presented and approved earlier this year.
To incorporate this new work, the BBMP reportedly reallocated funds from other projects. The sudden changes were initiated following public criticism of the city’s poor road conditions, which was widely discussed on social media.