On day one of traffic diversions around Hebbal flyover, there was not much congestion on the flyover and the roads below. However, the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) are cautious and said the actual impact of the diversions would be known on Thursday, a working day. Wednesday was a holiday on account of the Ram Navami festival.
As the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is adding two lanes to the congested flyover, two spans of the existing K.R. Puram up ramp will be dismantled at the junction where the ramp joins the main track.
The BTP has now asked commuters from Nagavara (Outer Ring Road) going towards the city via Mekhri circle to go to Hebbal circle below the flyover, take right towards Kodigehalli, and then take U-turn to join the service road and further join the loop towards city.
“Day one went off smoothly and the movement of vehicles on the flyover was relatively fast as the number of stops for vehicles have been cut to one from two. Traffic below the flyover was also fast moving. But the actual impact will be known only on Thursday,” said M.N. Anucheth, Joint Commissioner (Traffic), Bengaluru.
However, many commuters complained of traffic congestion on the Hebbal flyover. “Even in the non-peak hours in the afternoon, traffic moved at snail’s pace on Wednesday in areas surrounding Hebbal. The congestion started from Esteem Mall and it took at least 20 minutes to cross the Hebbal flyover,” R. Shanti, a regular commuter, said.
However, mobility activist and a resident of the area Sanjeev Dyamannavar said there was not much traffic congestion on Wednesday as it was a holiday and most schools and colleges have been closed for the summer. But he said the diversions made by the traffic police was bound to congest the flyover and an easier option would be for the traffic coming from Nagawara side to take a U-Turn at Hebbal junction below the flyover and join the loop which will take them to the maintrack of the Hebbal flyover.
Mr. Anucheth said that was also one of the options considered but was found to be unviable as shifting the bus bay on Outer Ring Road would add several kilometres to the bus journey and the service road below the Hebbal flyover was packed during peak hours. “We can consider this option during non-peak hours and night time,” he said.
