Church Street cobblestones coming apart

BENGALURU: In less than four months since the triumphant inauguration of the renovated Church Street by former chief minister Siddaramaiah, the road, supposed to last for decades, has already started giving way in a few areas.

The 750-metre stretch is paved with over 5 lakh handlaid granite cobblestones, some of which have come loose to such an extent that a TOI reporter could pick one up completely and put it back on Saturday. Underneath the cobblestone was about an inch of rainwater, a possible reason for the problem.


Near the entrance to the MG Road Metro station, there was a square patch in the middle of the road where the packing between cobblestones has come apart.

The much-hyped renovation started in February 2017 and was supposed to be completed in August 2017, but was delayed several times. While the project was initially supposed to cost Rs 9 crore, the contractor, Kudroli Builders and Infrastructure, said it soon escalated to Rs 14 crore.

Mayor Sampath Raj said a techincal team which would inspect the road and submit a report by Monday.

“They have been asked to ascertain the cause and how the problem can be tackled. The road is still under the defect liability period, and the full amount has not been handed over to the contractor. If there is a serious problem, we’ll withhold the payment,” he said.