Work on widening Hebbal Flyover to restart

The project will help motorists coming from Kempegowda International Airport and entering the city

January 01, 2023 11:38 pm | Updated 11:53 pm IST - Bengaluru

The project will help motorists coming from Kempegowda International Airport and entering the city. 

The project will help motorists coming from Kempegowda International Airport and entering the city.  | Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN

After a gap of over three years, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) will resume construction work of adding lanes to the existing Hebbal Flyover from Monday.

In 2019, the works were stalled after Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) raised concern over a project coming in the way of the future alignment of the Namma Metro project in the area. Now, the BDA has decided to implement the project with a modified design; instead of going at level two, lanes will be added to level one. From Esteem Mall side, two additional lanes will be built after the railway track and three lanes will be constructed towards the city. The down ramp will end near the Baptist Hospital and join the main lanes (traffic moving towards Mehkri Circle).

BDA officials maintain that no acquisition of land is required for the construction of additional lanes. “We have recently received a green signal from BMRCL for construction of additional lanes. Construction of additional lanes will benefit motorists coming from Kempegowda International Airport side and entering the city. The construction works will start from Monday. Initially, the construction of pillars will be taken up on the service road from Baptist Hospital side towards railway track,” an official said. The total length of the alignment would be around 800 metres.

The BDA has already informed the city traffic police seeking diversion of traffic on the service road to facilitate the work. “For construction of pillars on the service road, there is a need for partial diversion of traffic on the service road. There is no requirement of complete prohibition on traffic movement on the service road. Maybe one lane of the road is required for the construction work,” the official said. 

There are many shops and government educational institutions located on the service road and a BMTC bus stop is also allocated in the area. Motorists coming from Hebbal Railway Station side and people living in residential areas use the service road to move towards Mehkri Circle.

The project is being executed by the old contractor. The BDA had awarded a contract for construction of additional lanes and building a unidirectional underpass for traffic coming from Tumakuru Road side and moving towards K.R. Puram. The total project cost is estimated at ₹87 crore. This project will be taken up at a later stage. In future, the BMRCL will dismantle the loop located on the eastern side of the flyover being used by motorists coming from K.R. Puram and entering the city to facilitate Namma Metro project under phase III.

Hebbal Flyover was opened for motorists in 2003. It is a gateway for the city for the traffic coming from the northern part of the city to enter the CBD areas. After the commissioning of Kempegowda International Airport in 2008, followed by the opening of the expressway by the NHAI, the Hebbal Flyover turned into a major traffic gridlock over the years.

Recently, the State government announced the construction of additional flyovers and loops to decongest the area. For the time being, the BDA has decided to resume the projects that were stalled in 2019. There are proposals to add additional lanes for traffic moving out of the city towards the Airport and building a flyover for traffic coming from K.R. Puram side linking with National Highway (opposite Esteem Mall) and main lanes of the flyover. These works involved the acquisition of additional lands and no final decision has been taken yet on commencement of these works. 

Bhoomi puja for resumption works was performed by Chairperson of BDA S.R. Vishwanath in the presence of former Union Minister Sadananda Gowda and other elected representatives on Sunday.

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