BBMP plans grade separator to ease traffic at MS Palya

Commuters travelling from Tumakur Road towards Yelahanka and Kempegowda International Airport can look forward to flying over the bottlenecks at MS Palya junction as the BBMP has finally decided to give a push to the grade separator project after much delay.

The four-lane corridor, two lanes for each direction, will come up on the Yelahanka-Yeshwantpur main road with an intermediate single-lane flyover along Hesaraghatta Road, to reduce congestion on the grade-level carriageway.

The grade separator was originally planned as part of the western corridor to the airport, to provide a signal-free road to commuters travelling from Tumakur Road.

“The work is estimated to cost Rs 30 crore. It was planned back in 2017 but did not take off due to insufficient funds. Recently, it was proposed to be taken up under the chief minister’s Nagarothana scheme, and tenders have been called for the project,” a senior official in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) told DH.

Over the past 10 years, the areas around MS Palya have seen exponential growth with the formation of several layouts and institutions. Residents in the area have been complaining about the increase in traffic congestion as the MS Palya Main Road connects both Yelahanka New Town and the airport.

The 1-km grade separator, split into three small flyovers of 150 to 200 metres in length, is planned to remove the two main bottlenecks at MS Palya and Mother Dairy junctions. The separate loop connecting the Hesaraghatta junction will help commuters travelling to major institutions in the area.

The BBMP has fixed January 27 for the submission of bids. Officials said it may take about two to three months for the technical and financial evaluations, following which the work will be awarded to the successful bidder. The Palike has set a deadline of 18 months for the completion of the work.

There are minor land acquisitions which may require some time. But officials said it will not impede the work. Traffic diversion has also been planned, an official added.