Bengaluru: Garbage Truck Gets Stuck as Church Street Road Caves In, Raising Questions Over Maintenance (Watch)

A section of Bengaluru’s Church Street road caved in on October 12, leaving a civic body garbage truck stuck. The incident has raised concerns over road maintenance, infrastructure quality and accountability for the ₹17-crore redevelopment project.

Bengaluru’s upscale commercial hub, Church Street, witnessed a major civic infrastructure failure on the morning of October 12, when a section of its premium TenderSURE road suddenly caved in, leaving a civic body garbage truck stuck in the middle of the street. The incident occurred as the truck was travelling from the Museum Road junction. As it moved along Church Street, the road surface, comprising a white-topping concrete base and granite cobblestones, reportedly gave way beneath the vehicle. The truck’s heavy rear wheels sank into the collapsed section, bringing it to a halt and raising fresh questions about the quality of road construction, maintenance and accountability.

The incident has sparked anger among citizens and local shop owners, who have questioned the authorities responsible for the TenderSURE project. They have expressed concerns about the alleged neglect of a high-profile road developed at a substantial cost to taxpayers.

Church Street’s ₹17 Crore TenderSURE Project

The 712 to 750-metre stretch of Church Street was redeveloped under the TenderSURE (Specifications for Urban Road Execution) model to improve Bengaluru’s urban infrastructure and enhance its global image. The project initially cost around ₹9 crore to ₹11 crore, with the revised cost reportedly reaching ₹17 crore. The renovated stretch was opened to the public in March 2018.

The project was designed to prioritise pedestrians while accommodating vehicular traffic. It featured a relatively narrow carriageway measuring around 5 to 5.5 metres, along with wide footpaths paved with premium granite cobblestones on either side. Tactile tiles were also installed to assist visually impaired pedestrians.

To minimise repeated road digging and disruption, the project incorporated dedicated underground utility ducts for water supply, electricity, sewage and telecommunications cables. Other features included 40 LED streetlights, modern drainage gratings to help prevent waterlogging, seating benches and a sound system.

Despite these upgrades, the latest road collapse has raised concerns about whether the infrastructure has been adequately maintained since its completion.

Has Church Street Been Neglected Since the Warranty Expired?

Church Street’s infrastructure appeared to remain in good condition during its initial years. However, questions have emerged about its upkeep following the expiry of the five-year maintenance warranty.

Under the reported TenderSURE maintenance arrangement, the project engineers are required to hand over the road to the local civic body engineer after the warranty period expires. TenderSURE engineers reportedly maintain that the road was handed over, while the local engineer has allegedly stated that they have no information about the maintenance responsibilities.

This apparent lack of clarity over the transfer of responsibility has raised questions about who is currently accountable for maintaining the road.

The collapse has renewed calls for regular inspections, timely repairs and clear accountability for public infrastructure. Given the substantial public investment in Church Street’s redevelopment, residents and businesses are likely to expect the authorities concerned to establish the cause of the collapse and clarify who is responsible for maintaining the road.

White topping road on Church Street caves in, leaving a garbage truck stuck at the spot.

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— Imran Khan (@KeypadGuerilla) October 12, 2026