Moving forward with the plan to decongest traffic bottlenecks in key junctions, civic agencies have come up with measures for gridlocks at Gorguntepalya, Hebbal and Tin Factory. After an overnight inspection of major traffic bottlenecks by officials from Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), city police, and others on Tuesday night, the BBMP has come out with short-term and long-term measures to ease the traffic flow in these areas.
After inspecting Goraguntepalya junction on Tumakuru Road, the BBMP has proposed to take up short-term projects such as repairing the road which is in bad shape, building a Foot over Bridge (FoB) for pedestrians, and construction of toilets. The stretch has had traffic gridlock for years, as vehicles coming from Yeshwantpur and moving towards Nelamangala, and those coming from Hebbal and Nayandahalli (ORR) meet at the point.
Tumakuru Road connects Bengaluru with more than 20 districts. Earlier, the State government had entrusted the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd. ( KRDCL) to develop the stretch, but it failed to take up the works. Later, a decision was taken that BBMP will carry out the work.
BBMP Chief Commissioner BBMP Tushar Giri Nath told media persons after the inspection that the civic body will carry out asphalting of the road by following milling method. He said that milling machines will be deployed in the coming days for repair works.
Administrator of the BBMP and Additional Chief Secretary of Urban Development Department (UDD) Rakesh Singh said that there is a need to terminate bus services of the KSRTC and other private operators at Peenya bus stand to decongest the road. “There is a need to prohibit the entry of buses operated on long distance routes. The KSRTC has been asked to study the feasibility of terminating the bus services at Peenya Bus Stand,” he said.
This is not the first time that prohibiting entry of buses has been proposed; though discussions were held in the past, on ground, no measures have been taken.
Another major reason for traffic snarls at Goraguntepalya is banning heavy vehicles from using the Peenya Flyover. Due to safety issues, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had banned entry of heavy vehicles for over six months. The NHAI has been asked to allow at least buses to use the flyover. The BBMP is also contemplating developing alternate roads that help motorists coming from Nayandahalli side to reach Tumakuru Road.
The officials said that BDA will come out with a comprehensive project to decongest the Goraguntepalya stretch in the nex the board meeting.
Decongesting Hebbal junction
Officials also inspected the Hebbal junction used by motorists to reach Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) as well as the western and eastern sides of the Outer Ring Road. After the inspection, the civic agencies have asked the NHAI to widen the roads and provide bus bays opposite Esteem Mall to avoid buses blocking the flow of the traffic. The BBMP is also contemplating to develop the road located next to Aster Hospital so that it benefits motorists coming from Hebbal to reach Sahakarnagar without going to Kodigehalli gate. The BBMP will hold discussion with defence authorities in this regard.
There is a proposal to build a median on the road streamlining flow of the traffic coming from the expressway and reaching the ramps of the Hebbal flyover. Other measures proposed include providing parking space for buses that are operated from Hebbal towards K.R. Puram, installation of signages for the benefit of passengers, building zebra crossing, putting street lights and others.
The State government has already made proposals to construct additional loops for the existing Hebbal flyover and widening the road service road.
Meanwhile, at Tin Factory, the BMRCL has expedited construction of bus bays. In the absence of bus bays on either side of Tin Factory, drivers stop buses in the middle of the road for passengers to board. The State government had asked BMRCL, which is building two lines of Namma Metro near the area, to widen the roads and build bus bays. Development of footpaths, installation of street lights, signage boards, and others are on the cards.
