With the commencement of Namma Metro construction work on the Outer Ring Road [Central Silk Board to K.R. Puram stretch], motorists have demanded that civic agencies come up with a comprehensive traffic management plan.
Traffic snarls and gridlocks are a daily occurrence on the ORR on normal days and motorists are worried that this will only increase once Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) starts erecting pillars.
BMRCL has awarded a ₹1,325-crore contract in two packages to build the metro on the 19-km stretch. Officials say over 700 metro pillars will be built on the median of the busy road.
Krishna Kumar Gowda, consultant to Outer Ring Road Companies’ Association (ORRCA), said that in the wake of metro construction works a meeting with various government agencies was held recently.
“There is a need to keep arterial and sub-arterial roads connecting the ORR in good condition by asphalting and filling up potholes so that they can take up the load in future. A review meeting was recently held with officials from BMRCL, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Traffic Police, Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), the water board, and other agencies. We urged them to work in coordination to address grievances of motorists in the coming days. ORRCA will also help to decongest the road by asking employees to use buses or transport provided by the companies,” Mr Gowda said.
The BMRCL has set June 2025 as the deadline to complete the ORR metro work which is part of the 58-km ORR – Airport line.
Chief PRO B.L. Yeshwanth Chavan said, “The land required for the project was available even before the commencement of the work. Contractors have taken up initial works in pockets on the stretch. On issues such as bus lanes, traffic, and others, BMRCL will work with other agencies.” BMRCL had acquired 60,256 square meters of the land for the project.
Bus lane to be retained
Prahlad, Chief Engineer (Road Infrastructure), BBMP, said that the city’s first bus-priority lane that was built on the stretch for Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses will be retained as it is. “There are three lanes on either side of the road. To carry out the construction, a portion of the first lane on either side will be used. Bus lanes built along the stretch will be retained as it is.”