BENGALURU: The 10.75-km major arterial road (MAR) connecting Magadi Road and Mysuru Road, which was expected to partially open with three lanes in early January, will now be inaugurated only after all six lanes are completed, by the end of March.
An official from the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) said the original plan was to make the first three lanes operational around January 14, following the completion of the crucial box-pushing work for the railway underpass near Challaghatta.
This phase was seen as a major milestone, as the underpass is one of the most technically complex components of the project. While the box pushing for the three lanes are now complete the next precast box is being prepared to be pushed to complete MAR.
However, after directions from Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar, the BDA has decided to open the corridor only after all six lanes are complete, citing traffic and operational efficiency. As a result, the partial opening has been shelved and the focus has shifted to completing the remaining underpass work and associated civil structures.
To proceed, the BDA has sought coordinated blocks from South Western Railway, as train operations need to be temporarily suspended to remove and reinstall steel girders required for the second phase of box pushing.
According to officials, the existing steel girder is scheduled to be removed on January 8, while railway clearance has been granted for its reinstallation on January 22, after which underpass construction on the remaining half of the road will begin.
Built at an estimated cost of Rs 500 crore, the MAR connects the two busy roads, at Challaghatta on Mysuru Road and Machohalli on Magadi Road, running through Kambipura, Bhimanakuppe, Kommaghatta, Sulikere, Kannahalli and other places. Once fully operational, travel time between Mysuru and Magadi Roads is expected to reduce to just a few minutes besides facilitating easy access to the Mysuru highway.
The project is a critical precursor to the proposed Peripheral Ring Road-2, which is expected to integrate signal-free corridors, underpasses and major interchanges to improve connectivity across west and southwest Bengaluru.
The first three lanes of the MAR are fully ready, and sections of the stretch are already being informally used by commuters during trial runs, the official added.