Months after construction began, the much-anticipated pedestrian foot overbridges (FoBs) on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Access-Controlled Highway remain largely incomplete, triggering growing concern among commuters over pedestrian safety. Despite the urgency of the project, the pace of progress has been sluggish, they alleged.

Responding to sustained public pressure and directions from the State government, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had announced the construction of 24 FoBs at strategically important points along the highway to ensure safe pedestrian movement. Due to high-speed vehicular movement, the highway restricts pedestrian access and is risky to cut across.

The lack of dedicated pedestrian crossings has left many, especially farmers and daily-wage workers, with no choice but to take perilous risks by crossing the busy highway. Complaints had poured in from multiple villages along the route, demanding a solution to this long-standing issue. The FoBs were meant to address these concerns.

Though construction officially commenced in October 2024, on-ground progress tells a different story. Of the 24 planned structures, only a handful have reached completion, with many still at the foundation or pillar stage. A field visit by The Hindu to select locations revealed glaring delays.

For instance, in Mandya, The Hindu visited a spot where a FoB site remains under construction. Steel beams and other materials have been lying dangerously close to the edge of the carriageway for over a day. Residents fear that this could pose a serious hazard to fast-moving vehicles. “We are worried about accidents. The materials are lying right beside the road where vehicles speed past. It’s risky,” said Mahesh Kumar, a resident.

Babu K., a resident of Mandya, voiced frustration over the delay, saying, “Despite the announcement last year, nothing concrete has been done. Only a few pillars are in place, but the staircases and main bridge structures are missing. We’ve been waiting for months.”

The demand for safer pedestrian movement is especially urgent for the farmers, who often need to cross the highway to access their fields.

In Bengaluru South, too, residents echoed similar concerns. “It’s been months, and there’s barely any progress. We have to wait for long gaps in traffic to cross. It’s unsafe and stressful,” said Shantamma, a farmer from Mandya.

Repeated attempts to get a response from NHAI officials by The Hindu yielded no answers.