North Bengaluru Traffic Woes Continue: No Relief on Hebbal Flyover Loop for 2 More Months

Bengaluru: The additional ramp on the Hebbal flyover's loop is still under construction, whereas it was promised to be completed and opened to the public in 2024. It faced multiple deadline delays. This time, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), monitoring the construction progress, claimed that the new ramp will be inaugurated by August 15, reported The Hindu. This means that there is no relief for commuters in long traffic jams at the stretch, notwithstanding the time.

This ramp is supposed to ease traffic flow for people travelling through North Bengaluru. It is meant to help vehicles coming from K.R. Puram side join Ballari Road more smoothly.

Earlier this year, the BDA had said the ramp would be open by May, but the deadline has been pushed multiple times — from November 2024 to January, then May-June, and now to August. According to BDA officials, while the girders (the large supporting beams) have all been set up, they are now working on laying slabs and pouring concrete. This concrete needs around 20 days to cure (harden properly).

Once that is done, the team still has to lay asphalt (road surface), including some special 'matchstick asphalting', and install road signs.

A senior BDA engineer said, “We are trying to finish by 10 August, but even if we do not, we will definitely open it on 15 August.”

Meanwhile, daily commuters continue to face long delays at Hebbal due to heavy traffic. The area has always been congested, but now, traffic jams are happening even during afternoons, which are usually off-peak hours.

“I was travelling from Kodigehalli to Hebbal around 3 p.m., and suddenly, traffic just stopped moving near the loop. It was very confusing and tiring. Even others didn’t know why things were stuck,” said Amrutha Varshini, a private company employee from Malleshwaram.

Hebbal gets more attention, say police

Traffic police officials say Hebbal’s problems are often highlighted more than other traffic-heavy areas like Goraguntepalya and Tumakuru Road, possibly because airport travellers use this route and more people talk about it online.

Siri Gowri, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic - North), said people need to be patient as the new ramp is expected to ease congestion. However, she also warned that it may not be a permanent solution.

“Once the ramp is open, traffic might pile up near Baptist Hospital due to a divider separating the main road and the service road. This can also cause a jam near Mehkri Circle. We’ll monitor the situation and may remove the divider to help merge traffic better,” she added.

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