BENGALURU: A section of Kamaraj Road, connecting MG Road and Cubbon Road, will open to the public by mid-May. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) had earlier specified April-end as the deadline to reopen one-half of the road. For now, traffic police have decided to make it a one-way road, which would permit vehicles only from MG Road towards Cubbon Road.
Kamaraj Road, running 220 metres, was closed in June 2019 to construct the MG Road underground Metro station of the Pink Line (Nagawara to Kalena Agrahara) below it. It will serve as an interchange with the operational Purple Line. Due to road closure, vehicle users who wish to head to Shivajinagar or Commercial Street had to go up to Anil Kumble Circle or Trinity Circle and take a turn, causing traffic congestion at those points on MG Road.
Chief Public Relations Officer, BMRCL, BL Yashavanth Chavan said, “Work is going on continuously. Traffic police have completed inspection and are planning another inspection. We are looking at partial opening of Kamaraj Road by mid-May.”
Another senior official said, “As of now, only 8 metres width of the road is being restored. A footpath for 2.5 metres is being laid as well. The remaining 12 metres will remain shut for six to nine months as it is required to send equipment below for the underground station.”
DCP Traffic -West Anita B Haddannavar, who inspected the road recently, told TNIE, “We are keen to open up this connecting road at the earliest due to congestion on MG Road. There is a huge demand from the public as those who wish to visit Commercial Street have to take a roundabout. We plan to allow traffic only one-way for now -- MG Road to Cubbon Road.”
BMRCL has been told to put up signage and boards specifying ‘Hazardous Material’ as a safety measure.