Bengaluru: Police, BDA ready alternate roads to Ballari Road ahead of proposed restrictions

The BDA was supposed to begin work on the elevated corridor between UAS Staff Quarters and Mehkri Circle, with traffic restrictions on the airport corridor set to come into force from Friday.

Bengaluru City Police are now working with the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to upgrade alternate roads to Ballari Road so they can handle increased traffic before restrictions, proposed to be imposed for short tunnel work, are implemented.

The BDA was supposed to begin work on the elevated corridor between UAS Staff Quarters and Mehkri Circle, with traffic restrictions on the airport corridor set to come into force from Friday. However, no such restrictions were implemented on the ground, an on-ground check by The Hindu revealed.

The restrictions, whenever they come into force, are expected to disrupt traffic to and from Kempegowda International Airport and increase travel times.

Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh told The Hindu that the police were in talks with the BDA to make alternate roads more motorable and capable of handling higher traffic volumes. He added that they were also exploring additional alternate routes before implementing the restrictions.

While two-wheelers and cars will be advised to avoid the stretch between Mehkri Circle and the Hebbal flyover, heavy vehicles and buses will be banned.

Sources said that even if the BDA starts work on the elevated corridor immediately, partial traffic movement could be allowed for a few months until the work gains pace. Once the BDA begins demolishing the Ganganagar and Sanjaynagar flyovers, which will be replaced by new elevated corridors, traffic will have to be completely halted, sources said.

The project is expected to be completed in 18 months.