Police gear up for expressway traffic

Police gear up for expressway traffic

Staff Reporter
No toll till Highways Authority notification
Interceptors being placed to regulate traffic

U-turn allowed below the Silk Board flyover

BANGALORE: The city traffic police are gearing up to handle the traffic movement following the opening of the 9.5-km Hosur Road Elevated Expressway on Friday.

“We are making elaborate arrangements to ensure smooth and safe flow of traffic on the expressway,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Praveen Sood.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Kamal Nath will participate in the inauguration function to be held near the Electronics City, outside the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike limits.

Free for now
With the National Highways Authority of India yet to notify collection of toll, entry into the elevated expressway will be free for a few months.

A senior NHAI official said a separate notification would be issued on the toll rates and when they come into effect.

Traffic jam likely
The city police were preparing for the increased traffic flow on the stretch. “There could be a traffic jam,” Mr. Sood said.

“We are placing traffic interceptors and taking other measures to streamline traffic flow.”

The traffic police will help NHAI before the systems such as surveillance cameras and the variable message signboards installed on the expressway become operational.

Silk Board junction
Measures are being taken to avoid congestion at the Central Silk Board junction. Motorists can take a U-turn below the Central Silk Board flyover, just after the Madiwala police station, and proceed towards BTM Layout.

Similar arrangements are being made at the other side of the flyover to facilitate movement of traffic to HSR Layout and Bommanahalli.

When the NHAI starts collecting the toll, the city police will move to streamline traffic below the flyover.

“We will try to bring order across the seven traffic junctions and focus on pedestrian safety,” Mr. Sood added.