The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) Monday banned the entry of two-wheelers on the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway, a day after four people, including a two-year-old girl, died in an accident on the newly built but yet-to-be-inaugurated highway. An SUV lost control and crashed head-on into a two-wheeler in the opposite direction near Kuppahalli in Bangarpet in the Kolar district of Karnataka Sunday night. The deceased were identified as Mahesh, 45, the SUV driver; Ratnamma, 60, a relative seated in the front; Udvitha, 2; and an unidentified bike rider, who all died on the spot due to the severe impact. Mahesh’s family members Sushmitha, Virutha, Sujatha, and Sunil, who were travelling in the SUV, sustained injuries and were rushed to hospitals in Kolar Gold Fields for treatment. The family, residents of Kammasandra in KGF, were returning from Bengaluru when the accident took place. The police said preliminary investigations suggest that overspeeding led to the accident and that the collision's force severely damaged the SUV's front portion. “We suspect rash driving and speeding are the primary causes. A forensic analysis of the vehicles and accident site will provide further clarity,” a senior police officer said. The 68-km stretch of the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway was informally opened for vehicular traffic last month. NHAI finished the construction of a 71-km stretch in Karnataka and opened a 68-km stretch for vehicular traffic last month. The remaining 260 km stretch from Hoskote to Sriperumbudur, near Chennai, runs through Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, and is expected to be opened by the end of this year. The ban on two-wheelers, similar to the one on the Bengaluru-Mysuryu Expressway, initially applies only to the Karnataka stretch, and the authorities may extend the restriction further when the rest of the expressway is completed.
