If only one could fly over Airport Road

If only one could fly over Airport Road
New Indian Express

CHENNAI: It just takes about an hour to reach Bangalore from Mumbai and twice as much to get home from the airport. This sums up the traffic chaos on Airport Road.

The delayed flyover work at the Intermediate Ring Road (IRR) junction has been a major contributing factor to traffic jams. Call centre vehicles from ITPL and taxis from the airport make the stretch from Maratahalli to Command Hospital difficult to negotiate.

Police lament that as there is no alternative route to Airport Road, the increase in the vehicle volumes is causing jams.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Traffic (East) M.A. Saleem told this paper there is just one road all the way to ITPL. ‘‘Due to repair works on Old Madras Road, all traffic is diverted to Airport Road. Though heavy vehicles have been banned on Airport Road during peak hours, the relief is only minimal,’’ said Saleem, adding that the volume of traffic on Airport Road has exceeded its capacity.

Saleem also pointed out that 74 domestic flights and various international flights landing at the Bangalore Airport make the situation worse. Rajesh Rao, an Airport Road shopkeeper said that removal of the barricade in front of Manipal Hospital has been causing jams at the Airport departure junction.

With construction debris strewn on the both sides of the road, the area close to the kerb becomes slushy. With this, two-wheelers move slowly and thus hold up traffic. Though traffic on the road has been increasing, the road’s width has remained the same.