Mandya: A section of the retaining wall on the Rs. 10,000 crore Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway, inaugurated just 20 months ago, has bent near Hale Boodanoor village in Mandya taluk, sparking serious concerns about the quality of construction.

The wall, part of a prestigious Central Government road project, has visibly slanted, raising questions about the durability of the work.

Local residents allege that the contractor rushed the completion of a 4-km stretch in March 2023 ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inauguration, compromising the quality of          construction.

Shivanna, a resident of Boodanoor, said that despite repeated warnings from the community about the weakening retaining wall, no timely corrective action was taken. An earlier accident had led authorities to install iron rods and patch gaps with concrete, but those fixes have proven inadequate.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is now under fire for its failure to address the issue sooner. Locals have filed official complaints, demanding urgent repairs. NHAI workers are currently using cranes to straighten the slanted wall, filling gaps with cement and reinforcing cracks in the slabs to strengthen the structure.

With visible signs of structural weakness, locals are calling for a comprehensive investigation into the quality of the construction and immediate measures to ensure the safety of the Highway for commuters.