After missing several deadlines, the underpass at Kundalahalli junction, which is an important link to the IT hub, was open to traffic on Monday.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is likely to inaugurate the newly built grade separator in a week or two, officials said. The four-lane underpass is expected to provide relief to motorists.
The grade separator is part of the signal-free corridor project proposed on the Old Airport Road, which connects central parts of Bengaluru with the IT hub.
Although the project was conceptualised almost a decade ago, the work began only in November 2019 due to the delay in the acquisition of properties. The BBMP spent
Rs 19.5 crore to build the 281-metre-long underpass, comprising of a 7.5-metre-wide service road on both sides.
The cost of acquiring 28 properties came up to Rs 45 crore, it is learnt.
With the underpass opened for traffic on a trial basis, vehicles heading to Marathahalli and Varthur do not have to wait for the signal at the Kundalahalli underpass.
The waiting time at the junction will also come down drastically for the traffic moving towards EPIP Zone (Whitefield) from Old Airport Road.
Art work
The retaining walls of the underpass have been painted by The Ugly Indian as part of a CSR project.
“The art work with painted storks or saras is in recognition of Mahadevapura, knowns as the ‘Land of Lakes’. Mahadevapura has the highest number of lakes by count and also by area. The lake rejuvenation projects in Mahadevapura are already bringing the migratory birds back to our neighbourhood,” said Clement Jayakumar, secretary of the Mahadevapura Task Force-Mobility.