Commuting in Bengaluru is set to worsen from Monday due to scheduled demolition works of the Jayadeva Flyover as part of the Phase II expansion of Namma Metro. The resulting diversion will affect a significant part of south Bengaluru traffic, primarily contributed by those travelling between Bannerghatta Road and Silk Board junction.
As reported earlier, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) will take on the demolition works in phases and reconstruct it as one of the first road-and-rail flyovers. The new flyover, costing more than Rs 130 crore, will be ready by February 2020 and will accommodate the RV Road-Bommasandra (Reach 5) Line of the metro rail. In the first and current phase, authorities will demolish the loop connecting Bannerghatta Road and Silk Board junction, which means, service roads on both sides will be closed for traffic, too, in the near future, except for local residents.
With the commencement of the demolition work, vehicles travelling towards Silk Board Junction from Bannerghatta Road side will have to take left from JD Mara crossing and pass through 9th Cross Road, before exiting through East End Road or Marenahalli Main Road. Another alternative route, devised by the traffic police, include right from 6th Cross Junction on the 29th Main Road and left at 6th Main Road to exit at Marenahalli.
For those coming towards Bannerghatta Road from Silk Board, they will be forced to take a left from 29th Main Road and left again from 7th Cross to exit on Bannerghatta Road.
Map of alternative routes, issued by the Bengaluru Traffic Police
During this period, however, traffic will be allowed through the underpass as well as the main flyover on the Outer Ring Road connecting Banashankari and Silk Board.
The metro works have already paralysed a key part of the Central Business District (CBD) resulting in a traffic nightmare. A part of Kamaraj Road, a 200m section connecting Brigade Road (MG Road Cauvery Emporium) to Cubbon Road Junction has been blocked for Gottigere-Nagavara Line ((Reach 6). Similar diversions have been put in place by the Bengaluru Traffic Police in that case as well.
As a result, what would have taken minutes has now increased travel time for motorists by at least 15 minutes for those travelling from Cubbon Road to MG Road and vice-versa. This ordeal will last till 2023, and according to the traffic police, the cascading effects of this blockage can be felt as far as Shivajinagar and Residency Road.