More grade separators for easier drive

More grade separators for easier drive
This busy road leading to the international airport is dotted with several infrastructure projects to facilitate a smooth flow of traffic, says Leena Mudbidri


In the past few months, road development works in the city have picked up momentum, with a couple of major projects being completed. Both, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) have taken up road development works within their jurisdictions.
Bellary Road leading to the international airport has been in focus ever since the airport itself was announced. The widening of the road into a six-lane one, interspersed with underpasses and grade separators at strategic locations along its route, will spur connectivity between north Bangalore and its southern neighbourhoods making it faster and convenient to commute.
Road widening
Only last week, the BBMP partially opened up the halfcompleted CBI Junction underpass on Bellary Road for traffic. Though work on this crucial underpass had commenced in June this year, it faced several setbacks, especially the rainy weather. With the opening of the upper portion of this underpass, movement of vehicles from Hebbal flyover towards Mekhri circle has decongested traffic to a certain degree.
According to BBMP sources, work on the remaining potion of the underpass that connects R T Nagar with Bellary Road through the underpass and with the service road on the other side is likely to be completed by the current week ending.
The rest of the road projects on this busy road will be completed by December this year. The Bellary Road development works was taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 12.7 crores.
Signal-free junctions to international airport
The proposed PRR alignment links major highways and district roads, thereby creating a direct corridor passage round the city. Phase I of the PRR will connect Tumkur Road in the north of the city with Hosur Road in the south, and will pass through various state and national highways including NH 7 Bellary Road. According to the engineer member, BDA, the PRR corridor will be signal-free. Signals are required at critical junctions along the route but commuters will not have to stop since they have the options of using the flyovers and the loops on the service roads while detouring. It will be a tolled corridor.
Besides the PRR, all the junctions from High Grounds to Hebbal flyover will be signal-free for a smooth flow of traffic and the BBMP has been entrusted with the work on seven junctions in phases. Critical junctions like High Grounds, Windsor Manor, Cauvery Theatre junction, BDA junction, Sanjaynagar and CBI junctions, Anandnagar (near Baptist hospital), and the junction near Hebbal police station will have underpasses to facilitate smooth flow of traffic.
Elevated corridor to
Bangalore North
The planned Raj Bhavan Road elevated corridor from Minsk Square along Bellary Road to the Hebbal flyover will add to the connectivity between the Central Business District (CBD) and the new Bangalore International Airport. Since this elevated road will land just where the Hebbal Flyover begins, it will ensure smoother flow of traffic from the city centre, without detours.
Sources in the BBMP revealed that this elevated corridor will be constructed by a Delhi-based consortium and the detailed project report (DPR) is ready. The BBMP recently conducted joint preliminary inspections along with the consortium representatives. Once all the loose ends are tied up, the road would be fully operational in 12 months.