BENGALURU: The Bangalore Development Authority has come up with a new proposal to ease the city’s one of the most notorious traffic bottlenecks – Hebbal Flyover. Addition of three new lanes and an underpass figures among the drastic changes the Authority has suggested. It has submitted its proposal to both the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) and the RITES Limited, an engineering consultancy firm specialised in major infrastructure projects.
These agencies along with the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited have been entrusted with the task of coming up with a feasible project to decongest the flyover. BMRCL too has been roped in since its major infrastructure project the Silk Board-Airport line will pass above the flyover.Highly placed BDA sources told The New Indian Express that a grade separator proposal was submitted on January 2 and some major changes have been proposed for the first time.
“Three unidirectional lanes have been proposed to be constructed from Bengaluru city side towards the airport, crossing the Hebbal junction and an underpass from the Tumukuru end, he explained. The flyover constructed in 2003 by BDA witnesses massive traffic girdlock in the morning and evening hours.Currently, there are five lanes connecting the airport and the city via the flyover -- three of them from the city towards the airport and two in the reverse direction.
“BDA had earlier proposed two more lanes from the airport to the city and some work had also begun, but stopped later. If this proposal to construct three more lanes is accepted, then there will be 10 lanes in total, five each in either direction and congestion in the lanes will be done away with,” a top official said.
Another major proposal is to dismantle the existing route (ramp) from K R Puram side towards Bengaluru city. “Instead, a new unidirectional flyover will be constructed from K R Puram. It will be done at level two around the existing one and it will be done in such a way that it will merge with another new flyover from the airport towards Bengaluru for which construction has begun already,” he added. Metro rail is proposed on level three, he said.
An underpass has also been proposed from Tumukuru side towards K R Puram side. “It will have an arm that will merge with the approach road of the ramp of a flyover heading towards Bengaluru,” another official said. KRDCL will also be constructing an elevated corridor passing through the junction.