Drain installation work on a residential road parallel to Bengaluru’s G.M. Palya Main Road has triggered peak-hour congestion across the neighbourhood, with residents reporting persistent honking, haphazard driving and increased risks for motorists and pedestrians.
A crossroad connecting G.M. Palya Main Road with Bairasandra Main Road has been dug up for the installation of drain lines. The route also functions as an alternative link for vehicles travelling towards Bairasandra Main Road, adding pressure to the narrower internal roads of the layout.
The affected stretch passes by the rear gate of Bagmane Tech Park and is used by hundreds of office-goers, according to Sakshath, a daily commuter quoted by The Hindu. He said the road was already narrow and that the connecting roads were also unable to accommodate the additional traffic smoothly.
The congestion is concentrated during peak hours and eases after 11 a.m., resident Suma R. said. She attributed a substantial part of the problem to haphazard driving and called for the deployment of at least two traffic police personnel on the stretch until the civic works are completed.
The road disruption is also affecting homes and businesses in the area. Several small apartment complexes and individual houses are located along G.M. Palya Main Road and the connecting stretches. Suma said commercial establishments on the main road were receiving supplies only in the afternoon because of the morning congestion.
The problem illustrates how a local utility project can quickly affect the wider movement network when an alternative road is closed without sufficient traffic management. The dug-up crossroad is not only a residential access route but also a link between G.M. Palya Main Road, Bairasandra Main Road and the Bagmane Tech Park area.
Daily commuters have been using social media to alert other road users about the ongoing works and advise them to take alternative routes until the project is completed. The report did not specify the agency executing the drain work, the project’s completion date or whether an official traffic diversion plan has been issued.
Residents’ immediate request is for traffic personnel to manage vehicle movement during peak hours while the drain lines are installed. Until the work is completed and the connecting road is restored, commuters have been advised to consider other routes.
