Places to See in Bengaluru
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Blunders★ This city ★
10 public-works wonders, catalogued in Bengaluru, Karnataka — every entry sourced from news reports, RTI replies and civic archives.
Bengaluru has spent no small sum on attractions of unmatched ambition. Below, ranked as filed, are the public-works entries every visitor should know about before their next trip through the city. Whichever route you take, the guide covers what to see, its current status, and roughly how much it cost the public to build.
Bengaluru Steel Flyover project
Karnataka government's ambitious 6.7km elevated steel flyover to the airport was cancelled after sustained public protests over tree-felling, cost, and design.
Peenya flyover
Heavy vehicles were banned from the flyover for over 3 years after structural defects emerged; a political party alleged corruption behind the substandard construction.
Ejipura flyover
A precast concrete slab segment cracked and fell in 2024, injuring an auto-rickshaw driver, repeatedly halting construction pending IISc structural review.
Silk Board–Ragigudda double-decker flyover
Bengaluru's first double-decker flyover was shut for urgent safety fixes just days after it was opened to traffic.
Namma Metro (BMRCL) under-construction pillar collapse
An under-construction Namma Metro pillar collapsed onto traffic, killing a mother and her 2-year-old son; four BMRCL officials and six others were later charged.
Sivananda Circle Flyover — Barricaded Days After Launch
One of the replacement flyovers built after the original Basaveshwara-Hebbal "steel flyover" project was scrapped, this Sivananda Circle flyover was barricaded by BBMP within about a week of its launch after commuters complained of an uneven, undulating road surface. BBMP admitted the surface had problems and ordered a third-party firm to inspect and report on construction quality.
Sumanahalli Flyover — Recurring Road Collapse
Built by BDA between 2006 and 2010 on the Outer Ring Road with an intended 80-year design lifespan, the Sumanahalli flyover developed a gaping hole exposing the road below in 2019 — less than a decade after opening — and again in later years. A 2020 third-party structural audit commissioned by BBMP found that although 29 inspected city flyovers (including this one) were structurally sound, "none of them was being regularly maintained."
Tumakuru Road (Dr Shivakumara Swamiji) Flyover — Fraying Cables Closure
NHAI abruptly shut this elevated flyover on National Highway 4 for about a week from December 25, 2021 after a routine post-monsoon inspection found rust/erosion damage to two of the 20 steel cables linking pillars 102 and 103. The sudden closure caused major traffic congestion on the highway while an expert committee assessed whether the cables needed replacement.
Freedom Park Multi-Level Parking — Half-Finished Inauguration and Years-Long White Elephant
Designed to hold roughly 580 four-wheelers and 500 two-wheelers, the facility was inaugurated by the Chief Minister while still only partly built — at opening it could handle just 34 cars and 50 two-wheelers. It then sat largely unused for years: BBMP ran at least seven failed tenders to find a private operator, halved the reserve price to attract bidders, floated electric buggies to ferry users to shops as a "last-ditch attempt," and eventually handed it to a firm on terms under which BBMP expects to take about 50 years to recover its investment.
Gandhi Bazaar Smart City Parking Used as Car Showroom Storage
A four-storey multi-level parking complex built with ₹27 crore of Smart Cities Mission public funds to ease chronic parking shortages in the busy Gandhi Bazaar commercial district was, soon after opening, allegedly taken over in large part by a Mercedes-Benz dealership to store brand-new luxury vehicles — squeezing out the public parking it was built to provide. Residents said the diversion pushed ordinary motorists back onto roads, footpaths and outside homes and shops in the neighbourhood.
Frequently Asked
Visitor questions
What is the number one place to see in Bengaluru?
Our editors rank by a mix of visitor rating and sheer audacity. Scroll the list below — it's ordered as filed, oldest first.
Are these attractions safe to visit?
Define 'safe'. Daylight visits are advised. Maintain distance from open manholes, leaning structures, and anything under active repair. We accept no liability; neither does anyone else, which is rather the theme.
How much did these projects cost?
Where public figures exist, they're listed on each attraction's page, sourced from tenders, budgets and RTI replies. Several projects have no publicly disclosed final cost — that's noted too.
Can I suggest an attraction for this guide?
Bengaluru produces new landmarks faster than we can rank them. Submit a photo and location via the 'Submit a Blunder' button, and our desk will verify and add it.