Bengaluru road overhaul: 13,000 potholes fixed, ₹1,100 crore set aside, says DK Shivakumar

DK Shivakumar explained that concreting junctions of arterial roads would take about 26 days, and discussions are underway to manage traffic during this period.

Bengaluru’s battered roads, long a source of public anger, are back in focus. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday said that 13,000 potholes have been filled so far in the city, and pledged to find a “permanent solution” to the issue.

DK Shivakumar personally inspected pothole repair and roadwork projects in different parts of Bengaluru.

Shivakumar, who also holds charge of Bengaluru Development, announced that officials have been directed to prepare a ₹1,100 crore action plan to upgrade 550 km of arterial roads across the city, news agency PTI reported.

He personally inspected pothole repair and roadwork projects in different parts of Bengaluru.

According to officials, 4,000–5,000 more potholes identified will be filled in a phased manner. Last week, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had instructed civic authorities to ensure all city roads become motorable within 30 days.

“The officials are following government orders and filling potholes. Along with this, I have told them to prepare a ₹1,100 crore plan for developing arterial roads,” Shivakumar said.

He explained that concreting junctions of arterial roads would take about 26 days, and discussions are underway to manage traffic during this period. He also noted that the CM has promised ₹750 crore specifically for pothole filling.

At the ward level, the Deputy CM said another ₹1,100 crore grant has been approved for road development in constituencies, with instructions that the money be used only for road improvement.

Shivakumar pointed out that each of the 13,000 repaired potholes has been documented with photos, videos and GPS records, allowing for verification. He said a dedicated mobile app has been developed for citizens to report potholes, with the police also assisting in identifying problem spots.

“Such an initiative is only available in Karnataka,” he said, adding that potholes exist in every major city. “As Bengaluru is a global city, the issue is being highlighted more. But potholes are there in Delhi too, I can take a delegation of BJP leaders and show them.”

He also suggested approaching the Prime Minister and central ministers for financial support, saying, “Let BJP come with me, we will go together and ask for funds for Bengaluru.”

The state government has faced sharp criticism over the deteriorating condition of Bengaluru’s roads. Prominent voices from the industry, including former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai and Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, have called for urgent intervention.

The outrage has intensified after online trucking platform BlackBuck decided to shift its operations out of Bellandur on the city’s Outer Ring Road (ORR), citing poor road infrastructure and commuting challenges.

(With PTI inputs)