A Bengaluru industry body representing more than 500 companies has urged the Karnataka government to put its Rs 450-crore Outer Ring Road (ORR) revamp on hold until the Bengaluru Metro’s Blue Line is completed, warning that major road works could worsen an already severe traffic crisis while the metro project remains incomplete.
The Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA), which represents companies along the corridor, has written to Greater Bengaluru Authority Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao expressing “deep disappointment and serious concern” over the proposed work. It has also objected to the government’s suggestion that companies resort to work-from-home (WFH) arrangements to manage the disruption.
The association’s concerns come weeks after a meeting on August 4, attended by more than 100 representatives of ORR companies and senior government officials and chaired by Rao. Nearly 70% of the participants urged the government to prioritise completing and operationalising the metro before taking up new major works on the ORR.
The companies cited delays and poor infrastructure and said their confidence in the authorities’ ability to execute large projects had weakened.
According to ORRCA’s letter, the August 4 meeting had established that work on the corridor would be taken up only after stakeholder consultation, technical evaluation and careful sequencing, with metro completion treated as the immediate priority.
“Against this background, the proposed commencement of major carriageway works before the metro operations and before completion of the agreed technical evaluation and stakeholder consultation appears inconsistent with the understanding reached at the Townhall,” the letter said.
ORRCA has also pushed back against the suggestion that companies ask employees to work from home to reduce the impact of construction.
The association said the ORR supports more than 500 companies and around 1.3 million employees and argued that WFH cannot be used as a substitute for proper infrastructure planning and traffic management.
It also pointed to the Rs 450-crore ORR Improvement Programme, which ORR companies had supported and helped secure approval for in January 2026.
The association warned that starting major carriageway works before metro construction is completed could undermine the objective of improving the corridor while keeping disruption to a minimum.
ORRCA has therefore sought a pause on all major carriageway works, including tendering, awarding contracts, issuing work orders, contractor mobilisation, preparatory work and physical execution, until the promised technical evaluation and stakeholder consultation are completed.
It has also demanded that the metro be prioritised, that stakeholders be consulted before a final decision is taken on white-topping or black-topping, and that a comprehensive traffic simulation, diversion and construction-management plan be prepared with ORRCA and the traffic police.
The association has sought an urgent meeting with the GBA before the project is taken forward.
Despite the concerns, work on the project is moving ahead.
Maheshwar Rao, acknowledging ORRCA’s letter, said the authorities would have to devise a plan to commence the work and that phased white-topping was an option.
According to reports, tender documents were being prepared and are expected to be floated within the next 15 days.
The ORR redevelopment plan has now been changed for the fourth time since the Detailed Project Report was prepared at the end of 2025.
The Bengaluru Traffic Police had earlier warned that white-topping the ORR could cause severe traffic disruption and significantly increase travel time.
The concern comes against the backdrop of heavy congestion on the ORR on working days.
Traffic typically begins to build up after 7 am, with the average combined length of queues reaching nearly 13.5 km around 9.30 am. In the evening, congestion builds again from around 4 pm, with average queue lengths of 8.5 km between 5 pm and 7 pm.
The Bengaluru Traffic Police’s data shows that traffic is 253% higher on working days than on weekends. When tech parks are largely closed on weekends, congestion lengths generally remain below 2 km.
Traffic police consider 1,200-1,300 Passenger Car Units (PCUs) per hour per lane to be the ideal capacity. On the ORR, peak-hour traffic has reached around 2,800 PCUs per hour per lane.
The traffic police have also attributed part of the problem to a sharp decline in shared transport since the pandemic and have urged the government to introduce a formal carpooling policy.