Disruption in the IT corridor in Bengaluru as traffic suffers for work on Metro, underpasses

With the start of Namma Metro’s Phase II work, travelling to the IT corridor (East and South-East) from different parts of Bengaluru has become a nightmare. The municipal administration too is taking up mobility-related projects on key arterial roads at the same time, making it worse.

Two critical roads to Whitefield on which vehicular movement has already slowed down considerably are the KR Puram-Graphite India junction and the Jayadeva Institute-Central Silk Board stretch on the Outer Ring Road. Work on the Metro project on these stretches is expected to worsen road traffic for the next 3-4 years.

The traffic situation on Old Airport Road would be no better, what with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike planning underpasses at HAL, Isro and Kundalahalli gate junctions. The BBMP has also taken up white-topping of 50 roads, totalling a strech of nearly 100 km.

“It already takes me one and a half hours to get to Whitefield from Domlur. Once the work at Kundalahalli and HAL junctions begins, it will be worse unless alternative arrangements are made,” Pravir Bagrodia, a regular commuter, said.

Bagrodia, however, does not mind putting up with the Metro work since it is a “sustainable public transport”. “Making more space for cars is not a solution. There are many flyovers on the Outer Ring Road but traffic continues to be bad. We need all types of public transport and single occupancy cars should be discouraged,” he said.

Residents in South Bengaluru who travel to the IT corridor are a worried lot too. “Although I have a house in JP Nagar, I lived in a rented house in Whitefield for four years just to avoid traffic congestion when flyovers were constructed on the Outer Ring Road. I moved back to South Bengaluru after that,” said Shashidhara Bangalore, a senior manager at a private firm.

Shashidhara cannot imaging shifting back. “I have two schoolgoing children. Either I have to quit the job or endure the traffic. The police is also not making any effort to manage traffic conditions,” he said.

The BMRCL, on the other hand, says the work will not disrupt traffic as two lanes will be provided on either side of the median by widening the roads.

Hithendra R, additional commissioner of police (traffic), said the department would deploy more police personnel for better management.

“These are long-term projects and short-term pain is inevitable. There will be some disruption,” he said.