Travelling via Tumkur Road might be a squeeze

Road width reduced to facilitate Namma Metro construction

Bangalore 21/07/2011 :The viaduct alignment of Namma Metro Reach 3A (Yeshwantpur-Peenya Depot), which was on the median of Tumkur Road from Yeshwantpur takes a right turn at CMTI Junction near Goraguntepalya towards Peenya. As a result, Tumkur Road towards the city will get squeezed to half choking traffic flow for the next four months. Photo: K. Gopinathan

The woes of motorists entering the city through busy Tumkur Road is expected to worsen over the next six months as the ongoing viaduct construction work for Namma Metro will reduce the width of the road near CMTI Junction in Goraguntepalya from Saturday.

The joy of cruising through the access-controlled highway from Nelamangala and the elevated road and reaching CMTI Junction in less than 20 minutes remains short-lived. Motorists may have to wait at least 20 minutes to cross this junction as vehicles are expected to pile up to one km.

Viaduct

This logjam is expected because Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) has cornered a large portion of the CMTI Junction for the construction of the viaduct of Reach 3A (Yeshwanthpur-Peenya depot). The viaduct alignment, which runs through the median of Tumkur Road from Yeshwanthpur till CMTI Junction, takes a right turn to move on the other side of Tumkur Road.

The alignment change was necessitated owing to the construction of the elevated highway from Goraguntepalya to Chikkabidarakallu.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Praveen Sood told

The Hindu that about 50,000 vehicles traverse the elevated road. Some 1.5 lakh vehicles use the road below. The width of Tumkur Road, three lanes on the road below and two elevated lanes (towards the city), will reduce to just two lanes at the CMTI Junction. “One can expect a traffic jam spilling backwards from this point,” Mr. Sood said.

Outgoing lanes

However, vehicles going out of the city would not face problems as outgoing lanes will not get blocked, he said.

The problem is compounded as there are no alternative roads. “Vehicles have to pass through CMTI Junction to enter the city even as smaller vehicles are already moving through Peenya II Stage and Ayyappa Temple Road after taking right and left turns respectively at Jalahalli Circle,” he said.