Hebbal set to be interchange hub

Hebbal set to be interchange hub
While the High Speed Rail Link to BIA is still a subject of hot debate, the government has an ambitious route plan: making the Hebbal flyover area a transportation hub
R Krishnakumar | TNN

Bangalore: One dedicated road stretch to connect the city centre to its airport, where commuters on various modes of transportation converge from across the city. And chaos, when the stretch gets choked by mass public movement, as the city witnessed recently. The possibilities are ominous enough to look for alternatives. For starters, the government is pushing to develop Hebbal as a transportation hub.
The idea is to offer a host of modal interchange options near the Hebbal flyover, which has become critical given Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) is at Devanahalli. The plan that has been doing the rounds for more than a year was again brought on the drawing board after the airport started functioning in 2008.
According to sources, a proposal to construct a traffic and transit management centre (TTMC) in Hebbal — on the lines of centres planned in other parts of the city — is gathering momentum. The model, whereby people enter the premises by one mode of transport and get out using another, has been used to good effect in cities worldwide. Bangalore is chanting the TTMC mantra rather late but traffic and transportation experts say Hebbal makes a perfect case for one.
M N Sreehari, traffic expert and adviser to the government, says the move was a given considering all the major city roads converge to the Bellary Road towards BIA. “BMTC services are already quite active around Hebbal. The TTMC will provide commuters options like park and ride. Further, we are also exploring the option of shuttle services (on normal BMTC buses) to the airport,’’ says Sreehari.
According to official sources, the potential of the proposed high speed rail link (HSRL) from BRV Parade Grounds to BIA is also being tapped as a component in the Hebbal transportation hub. With BDA lining grade separators on the stretch between Central Silk Board (CSB) Junction in Madiwala and Hebbal flyover, the plan is now sitting on possible support systems.
ALTERNATIVES ON RADAR
While the Hebbal transportation hub is expected to streamline traffic on the stretch to BIA, the government has also lined up plans to identify roads from other parts of the city to BIA. “If Bellary Road is choked, the entire system of traffic to BIA will collapse. There’s a need to develop new connectivity options,’’ says Sreehari. As part of the state plan, four roads to BIA — from the directions of Nelamangala, Yeshwantpur, Hennur and the Budhigere-Whitefield stretch — will be taken forward.
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