Traffic troubles: How Bengaluru's Silk Board Junction sinks under enormous vehicle movement

Bengaluru: Notorious for extreme traffic congestion, the Silk Board Junction is witnessing significantly slower traffic for several hundred metres in all directions as it handles over 17,800 vehicles during peak hours.

This crucial intersection connects BTM Layout (100 Feet Road) to Madiwala and Electronics City (Hosur Road), and HSR Layout and beyond (Outer Ring Road).

Data reviewed by DH has quantified the traffic volume at the junction. Between 9.30 am and 10.30 am on any given day, around 17,816 vehicles pass through the intersection, with at least 8,300 of these vehicles originating from BTM Layout and heading towards Madiwala, Electronics City or HSR Layout.

Morning traffic largely flows from 29th Main Road in BTM Layout towards HSR Layout and Electronics City. Conversely, the evening sees a reverse pattern as commuters return from the IT hubs in these areas.

This heavy traffic impacts signal timings significantly. At 9.30 am, the signal cycle length — the total time taken for all signals at the junction to change from red to green and back — is 285 seconds.

During peak hours, traffic from BTM Layout has roughly 150 seconds (2.5 minutes) of green in each signal cycle, but must wait 180 seconds for the next green signal.

Similarly, traffic from HSR Layout has about 90 seconds of green, while vehicles on either side of the junction on Hosur Road get 45 seconds to cross, waiting the rest of the 285 seconds for another green signal.

The opening of the double-decker (metro-flyover) is expected to alleviate some of the vehicle load heading eastwards, reducing waiting times at signals, and easing the traffic pile-up at the junction.

"We can adjust the signals to give vehicles from other approaches more time to pass. One of the signals might get an extra 15 seconds," said MN Anucheth, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic).

However, congestion challenges posed by interstate buses, especially private ones, persist despite the junction's recent expansion.

"Nearly 600 private interstate buses leave Bengaluru for Kerala and Tamil Nadu over the weekend. They were initially parking near the Madiwala police station, causing significant pile-ups. We relocated their pick-up and drop-off to Roopena Agrahara, but that area still experiences jams during the weekends," said T Mahadeva, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic, Southeast).

He also said the traffic police have written to officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), requesting a spot visit to assess how the service road after Madiwala can be used for parking private buses.