Hurdles dot BIA escape routes

Hurdles dot BIA escape routes
Bangalore, DHNS:
With the burgeoning growth of the city, the Public Works Department was compelled to develop four alternative roads linking the City to the BIA.


The pressing issue that dogged the opening of the BIA was about getting to the airport. With the super expressway route considered unfeasible, pressure mounted as it took hours to reach the airport in the traffic-ridden Bellary route.

With the burgeoning growth of the city, the Public Works Department was compelled to develop four alternative roads linking the City to the BIA. One such road passes through Hennur and Kothnur. Deccan Herald did a reality check of the road on Sunday.

Starting from MG Road, en route Frazer Town, Hennur Bande and Kothnur, the ride was witness to potholes and garbage, barring the tarred ‘alternative’ that made the journey rather smooth. Covering nearly 45 kilometres in about two hours, the stretch was a scenic one with a lush backdrop of the Bagalur-Hennur main road.
But there were hitches that came on the way.

The six-lane NH-7 passing through Mekhri circle, Hebbal flyover, Yelahanka and Devanahalli is about 40 kms from MG road. What would take 30 minutes to cover the stretch on a quiet day, it takes not less than 80 minutes during peak hours.

Constructions in work-in-progress stage gave troublesome diversions. At Byrathi Cross in Kothnur, the construction of a culvert was underway and will be completed in two months. An alternative road is being developed. It became an awry stretch when we found the road missing and the vehicle had to detour and slow down to swerve through the bouldered road.

At Dwaraka Nagar, the road seemed to be non-existent and instead, there were boulders in place.
If this route gains popularity and the traffic begins to teem, even a minor glitch could jam the entire traffic system. For those stranded, it wouldn’t be worthwhile to detrack as they would be a few kilometres from their destination.

So, will another alternative be worth considering?