Bengaluru: To eliminate the last traffic signal on the main carriageway of Ballari Road leading to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is building a 750-metre-long, six-lane underpass at Sadahalli junction.
Once completed, the underpass will enable seamless movement of airport-bound traffic.As part of the project, traffic will be diverted near Sadahalli junction for around two years. Before implementing the diversion, NHAI will widen the existing service roads on either side to manage traffic load. A concrete slab is also planned for residents of Sadahalli and nearby villages to facilitate their movement towards the city.This is not the first attempt to build an underpass at the junction. About a decade ago, NHAI proposed projects to eliminate the traffic signal at Sadahalli junction. Initially, an overpass was planned, and later the proposal was modified to construct an underpass. After considerable delays, in 2019, NHAI decided to take up the underpass project and began work by imposing traffic diversions. However, the work was stalled, citing flaws in design. The project has now been revived with approval from the NHAI headquarters. Contract has been awarded for the Rs 35-crore project, and work will commence in Feb.“We have written to traffic police seeking permission to divert traffic at Sadahalli junction. Instructions have been issued to the contractor to commence construction work and adhere to the deadline. Traffic diversion is necessary as the construction will be taken up on the main carriageway.
Prior to the diversion, the existing two-lane service roads on both sides will be widened. Once the widening is completed, traffic will be diverted,” an official said.
At present, along the 22km stretch between Hebbal and Sadahalli junction, there are no traffic signals on the main carriageway, as airport-bound traffic uses elevated corridors and flyovers at multiple locations. Sadahalli remains the only traffic signal along KIA Road.
The junction is also used by motorists from several residential pockets and villages to travel towards Devanahalli and the city. Locals from Sadahalli, Chowdenahalli, Channahalli, Gadenahalli, and surrounding areas have demanded that their interests be safeguarded during the construction of the underpass.As part of upgrading Ballari Road infrastructure, NHAI is laying a 1km-long service road near Yelahanka Air Force Station.
Except for this stretch between Hebbal and the Trumpet Interchange, the highway already has service roads. “At Yelahanka Air Force Station, the service road will be built using the cut-and-cover method. The project is estimated to cost Rs 70 crore. Once the roadworks at Sadahalli and Yelahanka Air Force Station are completed, traffic on KIA Road will flow smoothly without any hindrance,” the official said, adding that recently completed works, including widening of service roads near the Hebbal flyover and asphalting near Jakkur Aerodrome, had already eased traffic flow.
