Gear School Road gets long-awaited facelift after years of neglect

Social media users hail East Bengaluru civic body for asphalting work; widening plans on cards

Bengaluru:

Once riddled with potholes and dust, Gear School Road in Doddakanahalli is finally getting a smooth blacktop surface after years of civic neglect. The Bengaluru East City Corporation, which came into existence following the restructuring of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), has taken up asphalting work to ease traffic movement and improve connectivity in the area.

Just a month ago, the road was in a deplorable state, barely motorable and dotted with craters. The poor condition had been a long-standing grievance among residents, especially the large IT workforce living in the area.

The improvement has also been acknowledged on social media. Civic Opposition of India, a citizen group known for highlighting civic lapses, posted on X (formerly Twitter):

“Thanks @EASTCITYCORP for finally asphalting the long-pending Gear School Road. The measured camber shows a 2.6° slope, which is satisfactory for proper drainage. Please also share details on layer thickness, bitumen quality, and compaction test results as part of the standard quality checks.”

The asphalting is part of a broader effort by the East City Corporation to address long-pending infrastructure demands. Similar work has been taken up on Panathur Main Road, Vibgyor School Road in Munekolala, and stretches of State Highway-35, where the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) has repaired damaged sections.

Officials said the corporation’s direct oversight is ensuring accountability, which was missing earlier. “Funds were available, but monitoring at the zonal level was weak. Now, the commissioner’s office is directly supervising the works,” a senior civic official said.

There are also plans to widen the stretch connecting Gear School Road to the upcoming Bangalore Business Corridor via Varthur and Gunjur, with preliminary land acquisition already in motion.

Urban planners say that given the heavy private vehicle usage, the government should also consider allowing private operators to run short-loop shuttle buses to reduce congestion in these rapidly growing neighbourhoods.

With several long-neglected stretches finally seeing progress, residents say the developments under the new civic structure offer a glimmer of hope that East Bengaluru’s infrastructure woes might finally be addressed.