Metro work on ORR: Bengaluru Traffic Police use barricades to simulate potential congestion

Bengaluru: To enable the construction of new metro pillars on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) near Hebbal, the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) conducted a trial to gauge road space and congestion using barricades on Tuesday. 

The new pillars will come up on the footpath and lane going towards Hebbal from Veerannapalya, while the pillar construction on the opposite lane will continue simultaneously. This is part of Phase 2B of Namma Metro, the Airport Line going through Hebbal. 

Traffic police placed barricades on the road leading to Hebbal to simulate the flow of traffic once the construction begins. The three-lane main carriageway, excluding the service road, was reduced to two as a lane was closed off for traffic. The situation is expected to be difficult to navigate at least for the next six months, noted traffic police sources. 

“We conducted a trial on Tuesday to assess traffic using movable barricades. Based on the flow of traffic, we have been shifting the barricades around. We have already removed the median to allow more space,” said a senior traffic officer from the northern division. 

The flow of traffic on that ORR stretch is higher towards Manyata Tech Park, Veerannapalya and Nagavara from Hebbal in the morning peak hours and vice versa in the evening, the officer added. 

“We saw heavy congestion yesterday (Tuesday). It will take some time for people to adjust to this arrangement as there is no alternative route for commuters in that stretch. We will conduct another trial plan on Friday,” the officer told DH. 

Hennur Road white-topping

Starting next week, the BBMP will begin white-topping a five-km stretch of Hennur Road.

The road, which acts as an alternative route to the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), will have one lane closed for traffic. This is expected to add more pressure onto an already-congested Hebbal Junction, as airport-bound traffic that was moving on the alternative Hennur Road will flow towards Hebbal as usual.