Sir,
This refers to V.N. Prasad’s letter ‘Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway NH 275: A Designer’s Perspective’ in SOM dated Dec.29. I was thrilled to read for the first time a ‘real’ expert’s take on the 10-lane Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway. Well-articulated and easy to understand. To me point number 5 was a stand-out [5. Under the circumstances, politicians announcing “Time of Completion” sounds bizarre, to say the least.]
During the year (2022) I have made many trips to Bengaluru and back using the Expressway. Yes, there were lots of stretches that may have faced the problems mentioned in the article and fully understand what the expert says (point No. 9 for one).
But here were stretches that the contractor could have accelerated, but did not, probably due to delay in receiving progress payments. That is payments that are to be paid as each milestone is completed. I would only see work being done well past 10 am and no work before that.
The labourers on the job in my opinion were inadequate. My last trip to Bengaluru started on Dec.17 and I returned by road this morning. Once I got past Kengeri, it was a beautiful ride right upto the time entry into Mandya. I had to slow down as we now had to drive through the city, we had to weave in and out of the 6 main lanes and the service lane till we were at the outskirts of Mysuru. It was early morning and, of course, no work was being done so early.
Construction works of the Highway should have started by 7 am and continued till 6.30 or 7 pm as long as there is daylight and I am sure the Expressway would have been ready by now.
Now what is left to be seen is the maintenance and the planting of greens in the median (dividing the two sides of the Expressway). The recent announcement by the Ministry of Roads and Highways from Rs. 900 crore to Rs. 1,300 crore is inadequate, considering it takes Rs. 40 crore for constructing a 4-lane Road.
India has over 1,50,000 running kilometres of National Highway. And then, there is this issue of flooding which was not foreseen and will be a possibility in the future.
—George Rego
Mysuru
29.12.2022
This post was published on January 2, 2023 7:52 pm