BENGALURU: In a bid to handle the massive congestion that could set in once the Baiyappanahalli Third Coaching Terminal is opened, a plan to convert the existing narrow road connecting the two sides of the terminal into a four-lane road, has been proposed.
It would link both the sides, making it convenient for passengers to reach their destinations from the station. Speaking to TNIE, a senior railway official said that the Chief Secretary – who visited the terminal for inspection on Saturday – has asked the BBMP to construct a road here to handle expected passenger traffic in future.
A senior BBMP official confirmed this development, saying, “The four-lane road, with a width of 18 metres, will connect Mukunda Theatre on Banaswadi Main Road and Old Madras Road. It’ll run to a length of 2.2 km. With the station in the middle, both ends will be connected.” The existing road is quite narrow and it leads from Baiyappanahalli village to the Old Madras Road, he added.
Another senior railway official said that the Railways expects daily footfalls to touch around one lakh, once the terminal becomes fully functional. “We are targeting completion of the terminal by October-end, but it could take a little longer too.
This road, however, is crucial for decongesting the traffic here.” Asked about the timeline, another BBMP official mentioned it could take long. “Land needs to be acquired first for the roads. The Railway Over Bridge above Mukunda Theatre has to be widened and much infrastructure work needs to be carried out at Baiyappanahalli village as well. Defence land needs to be asked for again, in order to widen the Old Madras Road,” he added.