Flyover to nowhere: Karnataka govt sits on plan to decongest Sarakki Signal

The Sarakki Signal flyover, first proposed in 2004, is still awaiting a green signal from the Karnataka government.

The 1.2-km-long flyover is aimed at decongesting the perennially choked roundabout that links the busy Kanakapura Road with the Outer Ring Road in South Bengaluru and is estimated to cost Rs 136 crore.

The Road Infrastructure Department of the BBMP had initially proposed to build a four-lane, 439-metre-long flyover below the existing metro viaduct. But the flyover’s length was increased to 1.2 km by the BBMP’s project wing in order to meet traffic bottlenecks that may arise in the future.

Besides Sarakki Signal, it will connect Ilyas Nagar, 35th Main Road and JP Nagar Bus Stand.

The flyover would be 5.5 metres to 6.5 metres tall beneath the metro viaduct that passes through the traffic junction at a height of 13.5 meters from the ground.

The BBMP prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR) and sent it to the government for approval. But the government rejected it over technical reasons. The BBMP has requested a review of the decision and is awaiting a response, said Lokesh M, Chief Engineer (Projects), BBMP.

Civic officials said financial constraints and a delay in grant approvals prevented the government from okaying the project. Lokesh said several letters had been written to the ministers concerned seeking approval for the project.

People living along Kanakapura Road were relieved when the project was announced but its slow progress and the government’s prolonged silence have upset them.

Abdul Aleem, of Changemakers of Kanakapura Road, a group of resident welfare associations, urged the government to take up the project on priority.

He described Sarakki Signal as “perhaps the second Silk Board junction of Bengaluru” with traffic jams spanning as long as one to one-and-a-half-kilometres on the narrow Kanakapura Road.

Aleem said the situation would only get worse in the coming days because many group housing and apartment projects were nearing completion along Kanakapura Road.

Madhusudhan A S, a techie who regularly commutes on the stretch, says that it takes almost 40-45 minutes to pass through Sarakki Signal during peak hours even during the pandemic when the traffic is thin. “It gets far more difficult during a regular traffic day,” he added, urging the government to fast-track the flyover.