Alternative road to airport opens today; to help eastern areas

An alternative road to the Kempegowda International Airport, which is expected to reduce traffic by 30% on Ballari Road, will be opened for public from Sunday evening, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) R Hithendra said on Saturday.

Authorities have removed a portion of perimeter wall of the airport on the southwestern side to make the entrance. "Vehicles from KR Puram and HBR Layout can ply on the road through Hennur Cross, Bellalli, Mittaganahalli, Sathanuru, Begur and Mailanahalli to reach the 800-metre road that leads to the airport.

We have deployed officials for smooth flow of traffic," Hithendra said.The additional commissioner noted that the road is yet to be asphalted as work was still going on. “We are opening it as a temporary measure considering the burden of traffic during Aero India show,” he said.

6-lane road

"It's a 75-metre road. It will be a four-lane road in the beginning. We have acquired enough land to make it into a 6-lane road to avoid congestion in future," a PWD official said. Officials said 24,000 vehicles ply through Hebbal junction every hour and most of them take the airport road.

The state government planned the alternative road a year ago to decongest traffic on Ballari Road. However, the Civil Aviation Ministry had not given permission for an entrance from the southwestern side. It took several meetings and exchange of letters between the central ministry and leaders from Bengaluru to get the permission.