Bengaluru's Church Street now has a cobblestoned carriageway 5.5 metres wide
After a year of repair and renovation, Bengaluru's popular Church Street is finally ready with a brand new look. The busy road in the central business district houses offices, restaurants and pubs and is also quite popular among shoppers.
With a cobblestoned carriageway of 5.5 metres, the street now has footpaths about 2.5 metres wide on both sides. And that has come as a relief for pedestrians. "It was too messy over here and it was so uncomfortable to walk on the road. Now, it's been made very nice -- a very flat surface so we can walk comfortably," said Hema, who uses the road regularly.
Renovation work on the 715-metre road began last year, and the Rs 9 crore project that was meant to be completed in six months has missed a few deadlines.
"Earlier there was so much of traffic, and the last year was not at all comfortable. There was too much chaos and congestion. There was absolutely no walking space, a lot of deviations. People could not walk. It's a very old road, done during the British period. After so many years it has been redone now," Francis, who works on Church Street, told NDTV.
For local Congress lawmaker NA Haris, who has been under pressure after his son's alleged involvement in an assault case, completion of the renovation work is reason for some cheer.
"Whoever comes to visit the city will come to Brigade Road Church Street. This is the first of its kind in the whole of the country. No government has done such a road anywhere," he claimed.
Lined by 56 LED streetlights, the street now has nine parking bays that can accommodate over a hundred two-wheelers and 16 cars. It's a refreshing change for people who have been inconvenienced by the repair works.
"It's really nice to see. Hope it is well maintained in the future. I appreciate this work but we struggled a lot for one year," said Hussein, a shopkeeper.