BBMP proposes flyover from Kamakhya to Ittamadu junction

Will make a 7.5 km stretch on ORR signal-free

A view from Kittur Rani Chennamma flyover towards Kamakhya theatre junction at Banashankari on Outer Ring Road on Wednesday.

During peak commuting hours, it can take nearly 30 minutes to cover a stretch of less than one kilometre on the Outer Ring Road between Kamakhya theatre and Ittamadu junction. The passenger car unit (number of vehicles passing a stretch of road in one hour) is nearly 15,000.

In an attempt to address the problem and ease traffic congestion on this stretch, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has proposed building a flyover. The estimated cost of ₹125 crore is likely to be covered under the Chief Minister's Nagarottana Scheme.

Senior civic officials said the flyover will provide relief to three of the most congested junctions – Kamakhya, Katriguppe and Ittamadu. “Once the proposed flyover is completed, a 7.5 km stretch between Mysuru Road and Silk Board Junction will become signal-free,” a source said.

Veerendra Nagaprasad, who commutes on the stretch every day for work, noted that several signals on the ORR are a contributing factor to the slowing down of vehicular movement. “The number of motorists using the stretch is high. There is no signal from Banashankari towards Nayandahalli and at Deve Gowda petrol bunk (Kittur Rani Chennamma flyover). Motorists get stuck after passing this stretch at Kamakhya theatre and Katriguppe junction. With work on the underpass at Muthuraj junction in progress, traffic is worse near Ittamadu due to diversions,” he said.

Past proposals

BBMP officials stated that as per the guidelines of the Indian Road Congress, grade separators should be constructed if the PCU at a particular junction is more than 10,000.

The civic body had earlier proposed an underpass at Katriguppe junction at a cost of ₹17.82 crore and a flyover at J.D. Mara junction on Bannerghatta Road at a cost of ₹24.03 crore. However, with the proposed one-km flyover between Ittamadu junction and Kamakhya theatre covering both these junctions, these two projects have been dropped.

That apart, the BBMP has also proposed an underpass at Veerabhadranagar signal, near NICE Road.

“We have submitted a proposal to the government seeking approval and additional funds. The funds from the two scrapped projects will also be used for the proposed flyover,” an official stated.