Crores spent, but flyovers in Bengaluru going nowhere

Many flyover projects are in limbo, but that is not stopping us from planning more

Bengaluru: Bengaluru’s ever-expanding population needs infrastructure to match it. In an effort to improve traffic flow, which is identified as a significant issue in the city, various strategies and projects are being implemented, with major ones being flyovers. However, a lack of coherence, vision, and planning leaves these projects in a state of limbo, requiring years to complete.

The city’s tryst with flyovers is not new. The famous case is the ‘steel flyover’ case, where a public interest litigation was filed by city-based Namma Bengaluru Foundation and other activists against the six-lane flyover planned by the BDA from Chalukya Circle to Hebbal, on procedural, environmental and tree-felling grounds. The Karnataka High Court and the National Green Tribunal issued interim stays and asked for detailed reports. This forced the government and the BDA to inform the High Court that they would not proceed with the project. The PILs were disposed of.

However, the city did not stop planning flyovers. With all problems related to coordination, payment and disputes, half-done flyovers leading to nowhere stand on roads, causing traffic jams.

A flyover near the metro station in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, which began in 2022, is an eyesore. The beautiful arch has been obscured by the pillars placed through it. The project now appears abandoned, with no progress, resulting in a traffic bottleneck. The delay in payments is supposed to be the reason for the project’s stall, but citizens also suspect political foul play.

A crowdsourced list from Opencity.in/ Citizen Matters lists Kerekodi/Veerabhadranagar Flyover started in August 2020 as one more such flyover. A ramp has been pending for over a year, and work has come to a complete halt since July 2022, resulting in congestion. The halt was due to the BMRCL revealing its plans to expand the metro line on the stretch. This also shows the lack of coordination among various agencies that govern the city.

Opencity.in also lists the Dommasandra Flyover, constructed by Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Ltd. and stalled for 4.5 years, in its list. Another is the Katamnallur Gate Flyover being built by the National Highway Authority of India, but now stalled. Yelahanka-Doddaballapur Road Flyover, planned by the BBMP, is yet another project that is stalled, but is gaining momentum slowly.

In the case of the Hebbal flyover, which is supposed to be in the shape of a clover leaf, PILs were filed seeking directions on the maintenance/safety. But the High Court did not entertain it as it felt the case was narrow, limited to a single flyover. The court wanted broader, more researched petitions. The flyover was upgraded with additional lanes and was recently inaugurated. 

However, images released by citizens on social media show traffic jams and bottlenecks even in the new flyover. “Lack of planning and holistic vision to solve traffic is a major issue plaguing our administrations,” says Arun R, a resident of R T Nagar who travels to his work through Hebbal flyover every day.

The Ejipura project

The Ejipura-Kendriya Seva Sadan flyover case is an example of a project that has been stalled for a considerable period. It has its history and activism associated with it, but the delay has been very long.

In 2012, traffic from Jayanagar and nearby areas slowed down traffic in the Koramangala area, while the road from Whitefield and Indiranagar, passing through residential areas in Koramangala, caused problems for the residents.

The BBMP had then planned a signal-free corridor from Sirsi Circle, near Lalbagh, to Agara Junction. Citizens objected to this, and the project was dropped. Later, the BBMP planned a 700-metre underpass connecting Forum Mall to Sarjapura Road, as part of the solution to traffic issues in Koramangala. This was also shelved after citizens objected, as they felt it would not help divert the traffic, and the BBMP could not justify its stance in court.

Later, resident welfare associations in Koramangala came together, conducted studies, and analysed the data. As a result, a proposal to link Ejipura and Kendirya Sevasadan was floated and approved.

“The project was supposed to start sometime in 2016, but it ran into many problems, Covid being one major issue. The contractor had to be changed in between. Now the project is on track and we will soon see the flyover,” says Nitin Seshadri, a resident of Koramangala.

Land acquisition for the ramps was a hurdle for this project, which has now been solved. The 2.38 km road, which today costs Rs 176.11 crore, is Rs 48.02 crore more than the original estimate. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) announced in July that over 60% of the construction is now complete, and the 2.5-kilometre flyover is expected to be ready by March 2026. The completed corridor will help the smooth passage of traffic from the Inner Ring Road to Koramangala. 

This is a flyover that is supported by the locals for the perceived utility it would bring. “To stop bottlenecks from forming, there has been a land acquisition proposal for a ramp near Hosur Road- Aiyappa Temple junction. It would cause a bottleneck only if a ramp cannot be built according to the plan. The longer the flyover, the fewer chances of traffic bottlenecks. Otherwise, a 2.38-km-long flyover would solve a lot of traffic issues,” says Nitin Seshadri.

Many plans for elevated corridors

The city has grand plans for many more flyovers and elevated corridors. The BBMP’s Comprehensive Traffic Plan, unveiled in January 2025, features a Rs 15,000 crore plan that includes over a dozen elevated corridors, along with double-deckers and underpasses spanning 124.7 km. An earlier feasibility study under the Comprehensive Bengaluru City Traffic Management Infrastructure Plan proposes 16 elevated corridors and two tunnels, collectively covering 124.7 km of elevated infrastructure and 46 km of tunnels.

Deputy CM D K Shivakumar announced the development of 17 elevated corridors across the city to convert 100 km of arterial roads into signal-free zones. A main stretch is from KR Puram to Goraguntepalya. The project is estimated to be worth Rs 12,000 crore and is expected to roll out over approximately four years, focusing on building 4–5 corridors annually.

In his March budget, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that a 40.5 km double-decker flyover will be constructed alongside Namma Metro Phase 3, at a cost of Rs 8,916 crore. This will run from JP Nagar to Hebbal-Kempapura through Magadi Road and Peenya. 

The main carriageway of the already planned 5.12 km long Ragigudda–Silk Board double-deck flyover is open for traffic, but the ramps are still under construction. As a result, the flyover is not utilised fully as of now, say citizens.

Even private players fancy flyovers; in some cases, the flyover itself is private. In July 2025, the BBMP approved the construction of a private flyover to a private tech park in Bellandur, which the builder would build. This sparked criticism from the public, who argued that the flyover should also be accessible to the general public. 

Meanwhile, the plans for elevated corridors are taking off. In January, the BBMP invited tenders to construct elevated corridors between KR Puram – Yeshwantpur, Ragigudda – Thalaghattapura, Old Madras Road – Madiwala, Nagawara – Bagalur, Hennur – Bagalur, Tannery Road – Nagawara, West of Chord Road – Nandini Layout, Konanakunte Cross – Banashankari, and Link to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) and Split flyover at MEI junction.

‘Unaffordable eyesores’

“Elevated corridors and flyovers can be an eyesore. Additionally, they support only cars and private vehicles, as buses often need to travel through residential areas. As a result, public transport remains slow, while the elevated roads built using public money become exclusionary,” says Vinay Baindur, a long-time resident of Bengaluru who has been observing the ill-planned infrastructure push the city has been getting.

“The city needs a big push for public transport. Pedestrian ways and non-motorised transport are the need of the hour. If the city keeps promoting private transport, we will never have enough flyovers,” he adds.

“If the government is not able to pay for the corridors, they have to raise loans, which will be repaid using taxpayers’ money. However, taxpayers do not actually receive the benefit, as these roads can be tolled or exclusionary,” he remarks, asking why the public should pay for something they do not use.