The ongoing white-topping work on J.C. Road has become a major traffic bottleneck. Being a key connector between south Bengaluru and the city’s central areas, the chaotic condition has made daily commute a nightmare for motorists while shopkeepers rue that business has been hit.
The white-topping work is being carried out from Minerva Circle to Town Hall covering a stretch of approximately 1.5 km. The work, which began a month ago, has led to severe vehicular pile-up, particularly during peak hours.
“For a daily commuter, it’s very difficult to travel. Normally, it takes 5 to 7 minutes to cover the short distance from Minerva Circle to Town Hall, but due to this work, it’s taking over 15 minutes,” said Ajay Prakash, a daily commuter.
Bharathi S., a resident of Chennamanakere Achukattu who travels to work in the Central Business District, said her auto rides had become a health hazard due to the dust apart from the additional 15 minutes needed to navigate the stretch.
Motorists have been struggling to navigate the narrow, dug-up, and barricaded stretch while shopkeepers in the area are feeling the heat due to reduced customer footfall.
“Because of the white- topping, vehicles can’t reach the shop. Our daily business has dipped due to loss of customers. Furthermore, the ongoing work is causing excessive dust to enter our shop,” said Abdul Rahman, a worker at a tyre shop.
“For the white-topping, they dug up the area in front of my shop, started the work, then stopped midway. After 10-15 days, they came back and resumed work. For the past few days, not a single vehicle could move smoothly due to the traffic,” said Syed Muneer, another shopkeeper.
Traffic police claim that ensuring smooth flow of vehicles has become a struggle. “The heavy traffic is making our work more difficult than usual”.
B.S. Prahlad, Chief Engineer, BBMP, said the white-topping work is expected to be completed by May 31.
Published - February 07, 2025 09:29 am IST
