Shantinagar Residents Face Dust and Traffic Chaos Over Dug-Up Roads

Residents and commuters across Bengaluru's Shantinagar constituency are facing severe disruptions as key roads remain dug up for underground utility projects. Several major stretches, including Richmond Road, Langford Road, Lakshmi Road, Berlie Street, and parts of Hosur Road, have been excavated over the past few months for water-supply pipeline installations and sanitary pipeline upgrades.

The prolonged infrastructure work has left motorists and pedestrians to navigate uneven surfaces, loose gravel, deep potholes, and thick dust clouds. The disruption has become particularly severe around educational institutions such as St Joseph's University, where high volumes of students and pedestrians are frequently pushed into vehicular lanes due to debris blocking the footpaths.

Traffic conditions on Langford Road have worsened further due to diversions linked to ongoing Metro construction on Hosur Road. The increased vehicular load on the incomplete stretch has led to heavy congestion and persistent honking as drivers attempt to stay on unbroken sections of the road.

Local traders and residents have voiced concerns over safety and environmental conditions. Pavements along key intersections such as Nanjappa Circle remain blocked by construction debris, forcing elderly pedestrians and school students onto the carriageways. In Richmond Town, residents questioned why road restoration was not carried out sequentially immediately following the completion of pipe-laying on each specific stretch.

Addressing the public dissatisfaction, Shantinagar MLA NA Haris defended the timeline and the decision to delay large-scale asphalting. Haris stated that the administration is prioritising the completion of all pending underground utility works first to avoid digging up newly laid surfaces later.

Haris advised residents to wait another three months, noting that roads will be fully restored and asphalted in a phased manner once all underground infrastructure works conclude.