Kundalahalli Jn closure will slow down traffic: Residents

BENGALURU: Concerned over the possible closure of Kundalahalli Junction - considered the gateway for lakhs of commuters going in and out of Whitefield - for a three-month period starting May, residents have arranged for a meeting with the police commissioner on Thursday to discuss the issue.
According to the residents, the commute time for several office-goers is expected to increase by nearly two hours if the temporary closure is effected. No alternative routes are currently available for lakhs of commuters and for Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses passing through the junction every day, residents said. They also pointed at how the four-lane underpass work, which kicked off in March, only added to traffic chaos after closure of a lane.
"In March, when the underpass work began after closing one lane, traffic came to a standstill and this had a cascading effect till the Outer Ring Road (ORR). If the entire junction is closed, the area will be gridlocked. All alternative routes available are smaller roads, which BMTC buses will not be able to take without holding up traffic," said Zibi Jamal, a resident of Whitefield.
"A closure of this scale will add more than two hours to everyone's commute, which is already high due to Metro work on Old Madras Road (the other key entry point to Whitefield). We believe this can lead to massive protest and law-and-order situation if not addressed immediately," reads a letter written by citizen's collective Whitefield Rising to the police commissioner.
Residents are now demanding that traffic police, in collaboration with BBMP, constitute a public consultation meeting with residents before road closures are implemented.
DCP (traffic, east) KV Jagadeesh, meanwhile, said how it may take a few more months for the closure to come into effect. "We are not aware when the junction will be closed. I think it will take a few more months. Work is currently being done on half of the road after which it will be levelled and resurfaced. Only after this the other side will be taken up," he added.
The Kundalahalli underpass work is part of the BBMP's signal-free corridor project - between Trinity Circle and Hope Farm Junction in Whitefield - which was conceived nearly a decade ago.
BBMP officials could not be reached for comment.