Jayanagar Residents Protest Road Closure Delay

BENGALURU Frustration reached a boiling point on New Diagonal Road in Jayanagar as local traders, office-goers, and residents staged an impromptu protest against prolonged traffic barricades that have paralyzed local access without any active construction taking place. While a portion of the thoroughfare has been completely blocked off to vehicular movement for the past 10 days, the broader stretch has suffered from utility shifting disruptions and underground stormwater drain construction for over three months. Residents voiced strong opposition to the preemptive closures, pointing out the absurdity of barring entry when no machinery or laborers are deployed on-site. Ajay Malik, a local resident, However, locals pointed out that while traffic restrictions and utility excavation work have severely disrupted daily commuting and business access for over three months, actual progress on the ground has ground to a complete halt. Noted that while the community is more than willing to tolerate inconveniences for active development, shutting down streets indefinitely harms local commerce and forces commuters to park far away from their workplaces. Local businesses have reported mounting losses as customer footfall dwindles due to the blocked access routes. Residents argued that while they are entirely willing to endure temporary inconveniences for genuine infrastructure improvements, blocking access unnecessarily damages local commerce and forces commuters to park far away from offices and shops. When questioned, traffic police on duty noted that official permits allowed for a three-month closure starting in early October based on agency requests. When confronted by aggrieved citizens, traffic police personnel clarified that official permission had been granted for a three-month closure starting the first week of October, acting on a formal proposal submitted by Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited (B-Smile). Authorities initially maintained that the restrictions would remain in force for the duration unless fresh directives were issued. Word count: 350Following direct consultations between community representatives and B-Smile's executive engineer overseeing the project, officials offered immediate relief and context regarding the delay. The executive engineer explained that a sudden shortage of construction labor during the festive season had disrupted the initial timeline. Assurances were given that the barricaded road sections would remain open to public traffic until heavy civil works formally commence. Furthermore, the project heads estimated that actual white-topping operations can be completed in less than a week once initiated, though it will necessitate a subsequent 21-day concrete curing period before normal vehicular traffic can safely resume. Contractors have also been directed to clear cross-road intersections immediately to ease traffic flow and minimize daily hardships for residents and commuters navigating the busy South Bengaluru neighborhood.