Bengaluru: Driving from Brigade Road towards Garuda Mall is set to become smoother as the redevelopment of Magrath Road in central Bengaluru nears completion. The 350-metre stretch between Brigade Road and Commissariat Road has been transformed into a redesigned urban street with wider accessible footpaths, aesthetic streetlights and upgraded drainage infrastructure.The project was carried out under the supervision of Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) chairman and Shantinagar MLA NA Haris, who resides off Magrath Road.Haris, who inspected the roadwork Friday, told TOI he has been personally monitoring the project and providing inputs, including on the choice of materials, streetlight design and other features. “The transformation is visible to anyone who visits the stretch. We paid attention to every detail, including design of streetlights and pedestrian spaces. Once a few issues at Brigade Road-end are sorted out, the road will be ready for use,” he said.According to Bengaluru Central City Corporation executive engineer Atif Mohammed, one of the key interventions was raising the road level by more than a foot to address waterlogging. “The stretch was earlier very low-lying and prone to flooding during heavy rain. The road level has been increased and access to adjoining properties and intersecting roads improved,” he explained.The project, which cost around Rs 3 crore, took nearly a year to complete. The road carries a major underground KPTCL power line connected to Museum Road substation, adding to complexity of the work.Mod Foundation assisted in coordinating the project among multiple govt agencies and utility providers. Senior urban designer Amritha Ganapathy said the road has been built with durability and long-term maintenance in mind.“We have used stone matrix asphalt, which offers a longer service life than conventional surfacing. Additional underground stormwater drain pipes have been laid on both sides of the road, along with extra gratings to ensure quicker drainage during heavy rain,” she said, adding: “We coordinated with every property along the stretch to ensure utility connections are in place and functioning before the chambers closed.”Residents hope the redevelopment will permanently address flooding issues on the stretch. Avinash R, who lives nearby, said waterlogging had long been a concern. “With this redevelopment and similar improvements on nearby roads, we expect the situation to improve significantly,” he said.Road named after military officerMagrath Road was named after Colonel John Richard Magrath, an officer in Royal Military Artillery. Today, the road is home to Karnataka Police Officers’ Mess, Garuda Mall, office spaces and a few residences. A major stretch of the road also runs alongside Bengaluru Football Stadium.
