Bengaluru Interior Roads to Get Facelift with ₹5,000 Crore Fund, Says Minister

Bengaluru’s sub-arterial and interior roads will undergo an extensive overhaul over the next six months, with up to 90% of the ₹5,000 crore allocated for city road infrastructure dedicated to re-doing smaller stretches and by-lanes, Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda announced on Thursday.

Speaking at an interactive programme where he addressed questions from citizens, Mr. Gowda responded to persistent concerns regarding the neglect of neighborhood roads while major thoroughfares receive white-topping and other upgrades. He clarified that the majority of the current allocation would focus on interior networks. The ₹5,000-crore outlay comes in addition to an earlier ₹2,000-crore package and other funds approved after Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar assumed office.

The Minister acknowledged that the quality of completed roadworks remains a major issue across the city and assured that quality control will be prioritized in upcoming projects. He noted that instructions have been issued to department engineers to enforce strict quality assurance measures for all newly commissioned works.

Addressing the problem of monsoon-related deterioration and potholes, Mr. Gowda stated that an across-the-board maintenance check will be conducted toward the end of the rainy season. He explained that undertaking comprehensive repairs in the middle of active rains would result in temporary fixes that do not last.

To resolve repeated road digging and the lack of coordination among civic utilities, Mr. Gowda highlighted the Greater Bengaluru Authority as an overarching statutory body designed to bring multiple civic agencies under a unified administrative mechanism. He added that the government is also building a GIS-based digital road map to streamline inter-agency coordination.

Under the digital mapping system, civic agencies will be mandated to log planned works, with major projects scheduled a year in advance and minor works listed at least six months ahead. The platform will also feature a public dashboard, allowing residents to view project costs, engineering specifications, timelines, and the names of assigned contractors and engineers for civic works in their localities.