Worsening traffic congestion at Hebbal.
Credit: DH PHOTO/BK Janardhan
Bengaluru: The delayed completion of a flyover ramp at Hebbal and ongoing metro construction on the Kodigehalli service road have significantly worsened congestion at the intersection.
Data from the Bengaluru Traffic Police's ASTraM (Actionable Intelligence for Sustainable Traffic Management) shows that the stretch between the Kodigehalli and Hebbal junctions experienced 1 to 3 km of congestion daily between January and April, before the KR Puram ramp at Hebbal was dismantled in April.
By mid-June, congestion had increased to an average of 12 km.
Average travel time per vehicle has risen to 12.5 to 15 minutes from the previous 10.8 minutes during peak hours. Similarly, congestion from the Veerannapalya Junction to Hebbal increased from below 7 km to about 9 km after April 15.
The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is building a new ramp for traffic from KR Puram to the city to alleviate the vehicle load at Hebbal Junction.
The new flyover loop, ending near Bangalore Baptist Hospital, is also causing significant congestion due to reduced road space.
The previous up-ramp connecting KR Puram to Hebbal was closed to all vehicles, except two-wheelers, from April 17. Twenty-eight days later, traffic police restricted all vehicle movement.
Nearby roads are experiencing increased traffic volume, with Ramaiah Junction seeing a 30% rise in daily traffic since April, said MN Anucheth, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic).
He added: "Areas such as Banaswadi, HRBR Layout, Cooke Town, Lingarajapuram, Hennur and Bhoopasandra are seeing significant traffic, much more than those roads can handle."
To alleviate the situation, traffic police have removed a U-turn on the Outer Ring Road at Veerannapalya to reduce congestion.
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials also installed drainage grates near Esteem Mall to facilitate rainwater drainage, ensuring congestion-free vehicle flow towards airport.
However, BDA officials estimate that conditions at Hebbal will not improve for another six months, as preliminary ramp work continues.
New ramps
The BDA plans to create a ramp connecting traffic from KR Puram to Bangalore Baptist Hospital and eventually a dedicated two-lane flyover from Esteem Mall to the hospital, with two additional lanes looping towards Tumakuru.
The ramp from the hospital to the railway tracks is expected to be completed within two months. Approval from the South Western Railways (SWR) for the superstructure and ensuring eight spans to connect to the KR Puram ramp will take about six months.