The State government has given in-principle approval to upgrade road infrastructure to ease traffic on a stretch of Old Madras Road from K.R. Puram Railway Station and Benniganahalli Flyover.
As per Phase II and Phase II B of Namma Metro, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) is constructing metro lines from Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield and from K.R. Puram to Kempegowda International Airport on the stretch. Both lines will run parallel to each other. However, building two metro lines on one of the most congested roads in the city is a challenge.
The planned elevated corridors on the existing road will throw traffic out gear if they fail to address the existing congestion. The BMRCL had initially planned to construct a road-cum-metro flyover from Mahadevapura junction to Kasturinagar to decongest traffic. However, the agency appointed to carry out a feasibility report pointed to practical difficulties in implementing the project. The authorities had to go back to the drawing board to explore other alternatives. A proposal was submitted to the government to widen either side of a stretch on Old Madras Road.
The order issued on October 1 stated that from Mahadevapura junction to Tin Factory, the road width at present varies from two to four lanes of vehicle. There is a proposal to increase the road width so that it can accommodate up to six lanes of vehicles. In the opposite direction, from Tin Factory to Mahadevapura, the existing road can have three to four lanes, and the BMRCL is planning to expand it to five lanes.
Flyover at Tin Factory
To ease traffic at Tin Factory, the State government has decided to build a flyover along a stretch on the left side of the cable bridge from ORR to Benniganahalli Flyover. To widen the existing road and for the flyover project, the BMRCL needs to acquire 29,322 sq.m of land, including 3,637 sq.m of railway land and 1,141 sq.m of temple land.
The government has also approved a plan to provide bus bays on the stretch. “There is conflict of vehicular movement in Tin Factory, with traffic movement from S.V. Road to K.R. Puram and from Hebbal to Hoskote in one direction and [that from] Marathahalli to Hebbal and from Hoskote to S.V. Road on the opposite side. The present locations of bus bays in both directions on this stretch pose serious traffic problems,” read the order. The upcoming bus bays will be connected with wide footpaths and foot overbridges.
