Bengaluru: A longstanding traffic bottleneck on Nallurhalli Temple Road is set to ease after a private landowner agreed to allow public use of a portion of his property.The bottleneck was caused by a roughly 40-metre-long section where the carriageway narrowed significantly as part of the road fell within privately-owned land. While the road remained relatively wide on either side of the stretch, the narrowed segment forced traffic from both directions through a constricted space, creating daily congestion for residents, motorists and school buses.After nearly a year of discussions, citizen collective Whitefield Rising secured permission from the landowner to use the portion of land for road purposes. Residents clarified that ownership of the land remains with the individual and that there has been no transfer or relinquishment of title.Following the agreement, Whitefield Rising mobilised a crowdfunding campaign and raised Rs 4 lakh to asphalt the section. Road-widening work was taken up Sunday.Residents said the newly-asphalted stretch will remain closed for about two weeks for curing before being opened to public traffic.East City Corporation was unavailable for comment.“This junction has .been a problem irrespective of the time of day. Whether during peak hours or otherwise, the narrow road causes congestion for commuters travelling between Nallurhalli and Whitefield,” said Rahul, a resident of Nallurhalli“Had this gone through regular govt processes, resolving and widening the stretch could have taken several more years. The owner’s decision to allow public use of the land has helped address a major bottleneck,” said Zibi Jamal, from Whitefield Rising.“Govt cannot do everything. Residents can play a role in solving local issues too. However, there are certain infrastructure challenges that only govt agencies can address. This initiative is a good example of citizens stepping up while continuing to seek support for larger mobility solutions,” said Aravind Kirthi, another resident of Nallurhalli.
