Multimodal hub can cut traffic congestion at Hebbal Junction by 50%: RITES

The peak hour traffic at Hebbal Junction will increase from 26,896 at present to 55,948 passenger car units (PCU) by 2051, a rise of 108 per cent, a study by RITES has said, suggesting several additional infrastructures to build a multi-modal integration system which can limit the PCUs to 40935 (52 per cent increase).

The Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) has submitted the proposal after a detailed study to meet the traffic demands in the year 2051 and interacting with all the agencies and corporations concerned. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Thursday released the proposal and invited the comments from the public.

In a first, the BMRCL has sought feedback from the public on the proposal to build a multi-modal integration infrastructure at Hebbal which will host two metro stations and a suburban station along with additional road bridges to enhance the capacity of the existing flyover.

As per the study, the suburban rail station at Hebbal will be integrated with the Namma Metro Phase 3 (Hebbal-JP Nagar) line while a pedestrian walkway will connect metro's Phase 2B (airport line) station.

The RITES study has warned that the BDA's present eforts to build an additional level-2 bridge at Hebbal junction to add lanes to the airport-city road will not only hinder future development of the junction but also obstruct the Phase 3 metro corridor.

Instead, the study suggested the construction of two-lane flyover on the west (on the side of Hebbal lake), enhancing the carriageway from city to airport into a five-lane road. In addition, the study proposed a three-lane flyover on the eastern side to upgrade the existing two-lane into a five-lane road.

Two existing elevated loops -- one connecting city to ORR (towards Tumkur Road) and the second loop from KR Puram to City will have to be rebuilt after completion of the new flyovers on the western and eastern side of the main carriageway to airport.

RITES has said that the the ORR loop connecting vehicles from Tumkur Road towards the city needs to be removed. "Vehicles will run further and make a U-turn through underpass and travel to the city over the loop of the KR Puram to the city," it said.

The study noted that the BDA has also planned a three-lane underpass at the junction for vehicles from Tumkur Road to KR Puram. For the opposite direction, it said the existing road shall be widened into a four-lane road.

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