After being shut for nearly six years, Kamaraj Road – stretching between Cubbon Park and MG Road – was reopened to regular traffic on Friday, January 2.
One of the Central Business District’s key arterial roads, Kamaraj Road was closed on June 15, 2019, to facilitate construction of the MG Road Metro Station on the Pink Line. While the west carriageway was reopened in June last year, the east carriageway was opened only this week, restoring full access to the road.
The prolonged closure and resulting diversions significantly increased commute times for residents and led to severe congestion in this already high-traffic zone of the city.
As part of the project, more than 160 trees along the road were felled. In a statement issued during the inauguration, the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) said the newly retarred stretch measures approximately 214 metres in length and 11 metres in width on each side.
The reopening is expected to ease congestion in the surrounding areas, particularly along the busy Commercial Street–Brigade Road corridor.
While the road’s return is welcome news for commuters, the exceptionally long closure raises larger questions about Namma Metro’s approach to infrastructure development. Critics argue that efforts to expand metro connectivity often come at a disproportionate cost to everyday mobility, reflecting a “one step forward, two steps back” model of urban planning.
Similar concerns were voiced during the inauguration of the Whitefield Metro Station in March 2023. Observers questioned why one of the city’s highest-traffic areas was connected to the metro nearly 15 years after services began. The inclusion of Whitefield on the Purple Line also resulted in almost half the line’s commuter load being concentrated there, skewing usage across other stations.
The reopening of Kamaraj Road offers some relief amid the persistent congestion in the area, now complemented by an operational metro station that commuters can finally access.