Ballari Road won’t be shut during 18-month elevated corridor work, BDA says

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has said Ballari Road, the main route to Kempegowda International Airport, will not be closed completely while it builds an elevated corridor between Mekhri Circle and Hebbal over the next 18 months. Work began on 6 November.

BDA Chairman N.A. Haris said two lanes and the service road would remain open throughout, with regulated restrictions and diversions in phases where needed. The clarification followed public concern over how much traffic disruption the project would cause on one of the city’s busiest roads.

There are restrictions, though. Traffic police have barred goods vehicles from the affected stretch, and KSRTC and private buses have been asked to use other routes. Cars and two-wheelers can still use the road. Police expect significant congestion along the stretch for three to six months, depending on how the work progresses.

The project

The four-lane elevated corridor, about 1.6 km long, is part of a larger plan to ease the chronic jams at the Hebbal junction, where traffic from the airport, the Outer Ring Road and central Bengaluru meets. Reports give different figures for its cost: ₹725 crore according to Deccan Herald, ₹420 crore according to another report, while a third places it within a ₹2,215 crore package of works.

What it means for you

If you are driving to the airport, set out earlier than usual, especially at peak hours, and check traffic police advisories for diversions. Bus passengers should check revised routes with the transport operators.