Easing congestion on Chord Road

West of Chord Road in for development
The civic infrastructure being put up here will make commuting smoother
Times of India

West of Chord Road is one of the busiest stretches in the city. Such is the density of vehicles that traffic signals have become redundant. Stretching around 15 km between Mysore Road and Yeshwanthpur, the traffic volume here is over 10,000 PCU/hour. The number of vehicles plying on this road has increased by over four times in just three years. This road is not spared even on holidays or weekends as it is the gateway to weekend getaways in that part of the city. In 2005, however, the scene promises to improve. The civic agencies are putting in place some much-needed infrastructure projects. Four projects in all - one flyover at Yeshwanthpur Circle, an underpass at Modi Hospital junction, another flyover at the Magadi Road junction (Vijaynagar Entrance), and a bridge connecting Chord Road and Mysore Road. The Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) had proposed all these projects to decongest traffic in a comprehensive way.

Yeshwanthpur flyover

Yeshwanthpur is the main entry point for vehicles coming into the city through the NH 4. Large-scale commercial activities in this area and increase in the movement of in-bound and out-bound vehicles have choked this junction. "The BCC delayed the project for over a year sighting alignment clash with the metro rail project. Now that the BMRTCL has crystalised the route we are going ahead with our scheduled plan", said Jaiprasad, Technical Advisor to the BCC. The project is going to cost the BCC around Rs 22 crores. The flyover will take off near the IISc and lead all the way to join the NH 4. There are up ramps and down ramps planned along the flyover but some of the features have to be finalised because it will be on a turn-key project, said Jaiprasad.

Modi Hospital underpass

The Modi Hospital junction is one of the crucial junctions along the West of Chord Road. Vehicles coming from both the directions on this road crossover towards Basaveshwara Nagar, Mahalakshmi Layout, and Nandini Layout, on one side and Rajainagar, Malleshwaram, and surrounding areas on the other side. Once the underpass is through vehicles plying on Chord Road can cross this junction without any interruption as in the case of Mekhri Circle. The project is being undertaken at a cost of Rs 14 crores including cost of
shifting utilities and is expected to be completed by August 2005.

Magadi Road flyover

Also called the Vijayanagar Entrance, this junction connects two major roads - West of Chord Road and Magadi Road. It also acts as the entry point for vehicles to reach the center of the city from almost all areas in the southern part. While the movement of heavy vehicles has increased on Chord Road as it connects Mysore Road to Tumkur Road, Magadi Road is too narrow to accommodate the mounting traffic. The Bangalore Development Authority has drawn up plans to construct a flyover at this junction but is waiting for clearance from the BMRTL authorities as it has plans to take its route over this junction.

Mysore Road-Chord Road flyover

It is difficult here at peak hours since this crucial Inner Ring Road connects the south and west parts of Bangalore. It may be noted here that all the vehicles coming into the city from Mysore, barring trucks, use this road. Since the KSRTC is coming up with a massive satellite bus station for Mysore-bound buses, it became all the more important to construct the flyover soon. A study carried out has revealed that the road takes more than twice the burden it can carry. The BCC is waiting for a final approval from the Government. "Once the approval is obtained, we will finish the project within 18 months", said a BCC official. The flyover is being built at a cost of Rs 20 crores including land acquisition and shifting of utilities. This project will ensure covering of the Vrishabhavathi primary storm water drain that has caused problems of flooding for the residents around, he said. The 400 metre long one-way four-lane carriageway flyover will have two ramps of single carriageway taking off from West of Chord Road right opposite the BMTC bus depot. One ramp is being provided for vehicles entering from Vijayanagar and the other for those coming from Mysore Road.