Beware! We Are Back & We May Kill You?’ say POTHOLES at Nanthoor & Bendoorwell Junctions

‘Beware! We Are Back & We May Kill You?’ say POTHOLES at Nanthoor and Bendoorwell Junctions. And with these potholes appearing every year, these two junctions should be renamed as ‘POTHOLES JUNCTIONS”?

Mangaluru: Potholes and craters have resurfaced on the portion of Mangaluru-Bengaluru National Highway 75 bypass at Nanthoor Junction severely affecting traffic in the busy junction. Parts of the bypass that were repaired with a fresh bitumen coat during summer gave way once the South West Monsoon started a few days ago. As the vehicles towards Bengaluru move slowly to negotiate craters and potholes, traffic through the junction on NH 66 and Kadri Road gets affected, said a traffic police constable posted at the spot. And this happens year after year when the monsoon starts and the workers do a shabby job by throwing some loose stuff in a hole and just hoping the traffic driving over it will fix it. It will not serve the purpose.

Anthony D’souza staying in Bajjodi who takes this stretch of road every day to work said, ” Improper rainwater drainage facility at the junction could be the reason for frequent erosion of the road surface. Though the National Highways Authority of India had built a culvert to drain out rainwater on the bypass near the junction, connecting shoulder drains were not properly completed, thereby causing water stagnation. We face these problems at this junction every year when rains start and it’s a mess, putting motorists at risk”.

POTHOLES RESURFACED AT NANTHOOR JUNCTION AREAS:

The same is the situation at the Bendoorwell Circle/Junction, where crater size [potholes have resurfaced again after the recent downpour, even though the area was asphalted a couple of months ago. This shows the unscientific work of the people behind the work, right from the engineers, city officials, contractors and labourers. Even though the recent rains have resulted in potholes resurfacing on roads in parts of Mangaluru city, two spots with “merciless” potholes that creates inconvenience and hardship to motorists and pedestrians are near the Nanthoor Junction, on the way from Kadri to Bikarnakatte, and the other at Bendoorwell junction.

And with our district administration officials and Mangaluru City Corporation officials taking this stretch of road every day their offices have turned a blind eye, probably waiting for motorists to get seriously injured or face death. But have any of these officials taken any action till now to rectify this problem- ABSOLUTELY NO? The relentless rain that lashed the city has washed away the asphalt into the nearby drains, opening up old potholes, and creating new ones. Potholes have turned into craters at many places in the city. During the monsoon, commuters have to deal with large potholes in several spots at Pumpwell to Bendoorwell, near Jeppu Market, Bolar, Hoige Bazar, Hampankatta Junction, Jail Road, edges of the road at Navabharath Circle, Karangalpady and Bridge Road (connecting Jyothi and Balmatta), and so on.

The interlocks laid on several locations in the city including at Lalbagh have slipped aside, developing new potholes. To avoid these potholes, many drivers tend to move on the right side of the road and come face-to-face with vehicles moving in the opposite direction. Pedestrians are also the worst affected as they have to use umbrellas to protect themselves from water getting splashed onto them by speeding vehicles. Owing to the damaged roads with potholes, the traffic sets at snail speed during peak hours. With the high density of vehicles in the rain, it takes nearly 30 minutes to travel short distances of nearly one kilometre. The two-wheeler riders find it difficult to judge the depth of the water-covered potholes.

POTHOLES REAPPEARED NEAR BENDOORWELL JUNCTION:

The traffic police blame the potholes for the traffic congestion. The civic authorities blame the monsoon for the potholes- and it’s all in the blame game every year. Heavy rains, heavy traffic and alternating periods of warm and cold have scarred local streets and the potholes pop up — and this has formed a worst-case scenario for repair crews who are struggling to find and fix all the emerging potholes. But are they doing the job right? I don’t think so.

The evidence now says otherwise. I think the only way to solve the current pothole mess is to lay a two-layered concrete road with a seal coat but the problem is, our authorities I bet are busy playing blame games. By the way, motorists taking the way near Nanthoor junction towards Bikarnakatte/Kulshekar are facing the brunt every single day, commuting through this route ridden with potholes and stranded water. Instead of fixing the roads first, our MCC officials are busy resurfacing inner lanes with brand-new interlock bricks. But when it comes to fixing the bad roads they are slow and careless. As long as cheap quality tar is being used and layered too thinly, we will continue to have these problems every year.

Without any delay, MCC should undertake a major exercise to refurbish City’s potholes. Driving on Mangaluru streets and for that matter, even on the outskirts of the City, is like an obstacle course. Drivers keep swerving and manoeuvring to make sure they miss every pothole. These potholes have also worsened the chronic traffic jams which Mangalureans face every day. Potholes aren’t just a nuisance for drivers; they also constitute dangerous safety hazards that can produce substantial damage to vehicles, force drivers to veer suddenly in traffic, or even cause the driver to lose control of a vehicle after contact. The gaping streets can also damage a car’s alignment and suspension system.

The city crews should take quick action to fix the potholes before they get deeper and worse — thereby avoiding severe driving hazards and vehicle damage. So, while waiting for these roads to be restored for a smooth ride, just brace yourself because it’s once again pothole season in Mangaluru. And for sure, the MCC authorities will not take any action, until a major accident takes place, due to potholes. Until then bear with the potholes or curse someone at the MCC— and still keep driving safely.