BENGALURU: Call it the IT corridor’s Bermuda Triangle. In Mahadevapura zone, infamous locations like Panathur ‘S’ Cross Junction, Varthur Main Road connecting Balagere and Gunjur, and Carmelaram Junction leading to Sarjapur and Bellandur, are a web of slow-moving traffic, and gobble up about an hour of motorists’ time during peak hours, every single day.
There may be some respite for motorists at Panathur Junction, with BBMP beginning road widening work, after having completed land acquisition of 49 out of 55 properties.
“We got land from 49 owners and paid Rs 13.50 crore as cash compensation, diverting funds from other projects to Panathur ‘S’ Cross Junction road widening project. BBMP is making all-out efforts to convince four more property owners. If things work out, in three or four months, work here will be completed,” said a senior engineer from BBMP’s road infrastructure department.
At Carmelaram Junction, work on the Railway Over Bridge is stalled as owners have rejected BBMP’s Transferable Development Rights (TDR). Nineteen properties are identified and there are 36 owners. All of them have rejected the TDR and informed the engineer.
“Now we have to work out cash compensation, and send a proposal for land acquisition. The same will have to be communicated to the land owners,” said an official in the land acquisition department of BBMP.
Meanwhile, a railway official said casting work of girders and piers for the Railway Over Bridge (RoB) is done. “So far, only 30 per cent of work on Carmelaram Junction has been completed. The rest of the 70 per cent work will happen only if BBMP hands over land to the railway department for RoB work. For the time being, we requested some of the owners to allow traffic on their land,” the senior official from South Western Railways said.
Similarly, 143 property owners on Varthur Main Road have not agreed to TDR from BBMP, and as a result, work of the elevated corridor and grade separator between Anekal and Hoskote, passing through Varthur Main Road, is yet to see the light of day. Due to the delay, vehicular traffic is heavy in these areas during peak hours.
Sandhya Prakash, who resides near Carmelaram and works as principal adviser for a private company on Outer Ring Road, said, “This corridor contributes significantly to the state and central exchequer through some of the highest GST and road tax collections in the country. Yet, we face relentless traffic congestion every day, particularly at Carmelaram, AET and Panathur junctions, with spillover effect on Sarjapur Road and Outer Ring Road.
There have been a few positive developments such as the deployment of additional traffic police and marshals at Panathur Junction, and installation of a new traffic signal at AET Junction in 2025. However, traffic jams continue due to poor traffic management during peak hours, and unregulated road digging by Bescom and BBMP contractors,” she said.
Jose V, a resident of Mahadevapura, said Carmelaram railway crossing has been closed for the past 18 months due to the ongoing RoB work. Although a parallel road connecting Chikkabellandur to Sarjapur Main Road has been opened, it remains half-complete, leading to numerous accidents and traffic congestion.
“A 19-year-old boy recently lost his life due to poor road conditions. We request the authorities to expedite the land acquisition process to complete the RoB and 100 Ft Road at the earliest,” he said.