Pic: A pothole with an exposed metal rod on a Navalur ROB bridge road is posing danger to motoristsHubballi: Motorists in Hubballi-Dharwad continue to face hardship as stretches of PB Road, including the Railway Over Bridge (ROB), Navalur, and Bairidevarkoppa, have deteriorated. Developed under the H-D BRTS project by KRDCL, the road now suffers from poor upkeep and uneven surfaces, leading to frequent traffic disruptions.According to the source, after completing the H-D BRTS project, Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) was given a defect liability period (DLP) for 5 years. However, the KRDCL maintenance period is over, but the road has not been repaired. The H-D BRTS has sent a proposal of Rs 6 crore to the state govt for road repairs, but it has not yielded any results.The roads connecting Hubballi and Dharwad, particularly those developed under the HD-BRTS project, are riddled with ruts causing havoc for motorists. Key areas like Hosur, Vidya Nagar, and Bhairidevarkoppa are the worst affected.Prashant Duragad, a motorist from Navalur, said that the ROB Navalur road has deteriorated. Many potholes have formed on the bridge, and the cement used for the road has washed away, causing problems for motorists. Ruts and undulations on PB Road are especially affecting two-wheelers. Many commuters have complained to the BRTS about the rutted road and have urged repairs at the earliest.Another motorist, Ravi Mugali from Dharwad, said that there are too many potholes, including near Vidyagiri to toll naka and KMF to Gandhinagar. There are many ruts formed on the Hubballi-Dharwad road. Due to this, motorists are facing problems, and BRTS project is not maintaining a friendly transport service. He urged the authority to take up repair work at the earliest.HD-BRTS general manager R Gudaraddi said that they have received many complaints about the PB Road, which is a mixed traffic lane (MTL) where private buses and other vehicles run. The HD-BRTS has sent a proposal to release the funds for repair works. Soon after releasing the funds, the repair work will commence, he said.KRDCL executive engineer Praveen Hulaji said the ROB Navalur road was maintained by KRDCL from 2019. The period of maintenance of the bridge was 5 years after completing the road. The maintenance period was over last year. However, we repaired the road recently. Now, the BRTS should repair the work, he said.
