Following multiple accidents on the newly opened Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway following its partial opening before the Dasara season, traffic police have appealed to motorists to be cautious.
Initially, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had set Dasara season as the deadline for the opening of the entire 117-km expressway. However, it failed to meet the deadline owing to various issues. Several stretches though have been partially opened in a phased manner.
Recently, near Channapatna, an accident involving a private bus and six other vehicles claimed the life of a child.
Ramanagara SP K. Santosh Babu said, “We have been advising motorists to be cautious. One should not cross 80 kmph speed; seat belt is a must; those who are driving slowly should not use the right lane; follow diversion instructions or else they will end up blocking oncoming traffic. On the expressway, manning traffic at every point is not feasible.” The official said those motorists who are wary of using the newly opened bypasses must avoid using them.
There were several instances of youths coming from Bengaluru to do bike stunts on the bypasses risking their lives as well as others. “We impounded their vehicles and imposed a penalty on those violating the rules by doing bike stunts,” said the official. Once the expressway is fully operational, two-wheelers and autorickshaws will be barred from using the expressway as it is unsafe.
The regular commuters demand that NHAI expedite the work and make the entire stretch fully operational. “The expressway quality is good and we are expecting the whole stretch to open soon. However, without wide slip roads, we find it difficult to cross various points and this results in huge traffic jams and snarls especially near the toll gate in Kumbalgodu. The overall delay in its construction is making life difficult for commuters like us,” said Karthik, a commuter.
Meanwhile, commuters say there is a need to put speed bumps near points where there are sharp curves. “After a long wait, the commuters are getting good road infrastructure. Several bypasses have been opened. Recently, on social media a video of accidents involving multiple vehicles and photo of a toppled truck had gone viral. People say that at several stretches spread breakers are required, with proper signage system considering the safety of the motorists. The NHAI should work in this regard to make travelling safe for the general public,” said Tushar Rao, another commuter.
Recently, the expressway hit the headlines after several stretches were inundated following heavy rain in Ramanagaram district. The NHAI was accused of doing shoddy work. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari during his recent visit to Bengaluru said the NHAI would take all the corrective measures.
Earlier, the NHAI had maintained that the pending works will be completed by year-end. The 117-km expressway includes an 8-km long elevated corridor, nine major bridges, 42 minor bridges, four railway over bridges and five bypasses. Sources said that the expressway is likely to be formally inaugurated by February next year.
