——–S. A. Hemanth——–
Bengaluru, March 6: The demand for two additional underpasses on Bengaluru – Mysore Expressway has put a lot of pressure on the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to complete the project well within time.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate this prestigious road on March 12 which is also a matter of electoral issue for the BJP.
Two underpasses, one each at Budanur and Indavala, were not planned earlier. The local BJP leaders urged their party leadership who, in turn, took up the issue with Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.
NHAI took up the work on additional two underpasses after the technical committee gave its nod. “Now we are racing against time to complete the project and make it ready by March 12,” a top official told The Newz Peg.
The NHAI opened the main lanes of the Express Corridor even as it worked on the service road. Villagers are of the view that the NHAI is concentrating more on the main Expressway and is slow on service roads.
“A highway will be dangerous if there are no proper service roads. The work on highway and service road should go on simultaneously,” Giri Gowda, a regular commuter said.
Villagers have told the NHAI authorities that they would participate in the Prime Minister’s function if service roads and underpasses are completed. “Otherwise, we will boycott the function,” Thimmaraya Gowda of Doddamalur said.
The NHAI has to work in “Express Mode” to complete the Expressway and keep it ready for inauguration on March 12.
EOM
