Bengaluru: The wait is finally over. South India's first road-cum-metro flyover will open for traffic on Wednesday (July 17), a top official said.
The 3.36-km flyover starts at the Ragigudda metro station and runs until Silk Board Junction below the Yellow Line, which is slated to open this December.
Silk Board Junction, located at the intersection of Hosur Road (National Highway 44) and Outer Ring Road), is one of the most congested roundabouts in Bengaluru and has spawned countless memes.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy will undertake a "trial walk" on the flyover at 3 pm on Wednesday.
Vehicular movement will be allowed on the flyover on the same day afterwards, M Maheshwar Rao, Managing Director, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), told DH.
The double-deck flyover has two carriageways of two lanes each. Three metro stations are situated midway (Jayadeva Hospital, BTM Layout and Silk Board Junction).
The flyover will have a total of five ramps. Ramps A, B and C are ready while work on Ramps D and E is still underway and is to complete in May 2025.
Ramp A connects the Ragigudda metro station to Hosur Road. Ramp B is a branch of Ramp A, going towards HSR Layout. Ramp C links BTM Layout to Hosur Road/HSR Layout through Ramp A. Ramp D will run above Ramp A and the metro line, linking HSR Layout to Ragigudda. Ramp is a down ramp from HSR Layout to BTM Layout.
Bengaluru traffic police believe the flyover would ease morning rush-hour congestion from Ragigudda and BTM Layout to Hosur Road and HSR Layout during the morning rush hour, reducing travel time from 30-45 minutes to five minutes.