A file photo of vehicles moving in slow traffic as part of the road was taken up for white-topping works, at Koramangala near national games village in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN
Nearly 70% of the white-topping projects taken up in the city have missed their deadlines, while several others are likely to meet the same fate, according to Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) data.Its adverse impact is on the city traffic, with multiple diversions in place and several key stretches being choked. Meanwhile, B-SMILE officials, who are in charge of the projects, maintained that several reasons, including approvals and multi-agency coordination, have contributed to the delays.Krishna Byre Gowda, Greater Bengaluru Development Minister, presented the list of ongoing and delayed works in response to a question asked by MLA for Yelahanka S.R. Vishwanath.The data shows that of the 78 white-topping works ongoing across the city, 54 are delayed. Some of the major delayed works include Hennur 80 Feet Road, Mosque Road, Sanjaynagar Main Road, and Hosakerehalli Main Road, among others.Coordination issuesSources in the B-SMILE maintained that getting approvals from multiple departments is still a challenge, which significantly contributes to the delays. The source pointed out that Kengal Hanumanthaiya Road has to be white-topped, but permission to close the road was denied by the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) more than twice before being approved recently.However, according to sources in the Bengaluru Traffic Police, K.H. Road is a major link connecting different parts of the city, so closing it even partially would disrupt traffic. That is why the permissions were held back.“They wanted to work on the J.C. Road, which was already delayed, and permission was again sought before the monsoon. We have asked them to complete the drain works first, after which, in phases, we can extend permission,” the source said.However, the civic body points out that it is not just one agency but multiple agencies that work simultaneously, making it nearly impossible to complete works on time. In his response, Mr. Gowda said that when white-topping is taken up, water and sewer lines are reviewed and fixed, ensuring that there would be no instances of digging up the road again for the next 20 years.While these works are to be coordinated, Mr. Gowda has noted in the past that coordination has historically been poor. He recently announced a new application that creates a single platform for different agencies to coordinate civic works.Commuters’ struggleThe TomTom Traffic Index, a global assessment of congestion by a Dutch group, placed Bengaluru in second place, just behind Mexico City, on the list of the most congested cities in the world in 2025. The results also meant Bengaluru was the most congested city in India.The BTP had then listed delayed civic works as one of the reasons that affect traffic in the city and triggering an increase in commute times. These delays directly impacted several key stretches in the city.For instance, due to the delayed Panathur white-topping works, peak-hour traffic at the Marathahalli Junction had shot up drastically and triggered an extension of peak hours in the eastern part of the city until the road was opened. Similarly, Lower Agaram Road white-topping works triggered massive traffic disruption by choking a key link between the southeastern and central parts of the city. Published - August 22, 2026 07:30 pm IST
