Why is Kempegowda International Airport Road (Old Bellary Road) chock-a-block especially during peak hours? Special commissioner (Traffic) MA Saleem blames it on poor road geometrics.
Saleem, who recently took over as the Special Commissioner for Traffic, visited the airport road and told BBMP engineers, “Traffic congestion in the city is not just on narrow roads. It is due to poor road designs. I want to share the example of
Then the road widens, turning into three lanes till Cauvery junction underpass. The wide road narrows down again near Ramana Maharshi Park, only to widen to three-lane at
He informed that during peak hour rush, at times, the travel time between Windsor Manor to Hebbal flyover is the same as the travel time between Hebbal flyover and KIA. In the reverse direction, a 12-lane flyover gets reduced to a two-laned one at Hebbal flyover, which clogs the traffic. Hence, a professional approach for designing the road, construction, and maintenance will go a long way in reducing the traffic congestion, he told Bangalore Mirror.
He said that public transport will go a long way in decongesting city roads. The proposed metro and suburban train network may give a boost to public transport, but it is a long way before these projects are implemented.
Many motorists complain about the airport road’s design too.
It is not just the width of the road, but the uneven surface. You can’t have smooth travel at all as the road is not laid properly
–Sunil Gowda, motorist
“This is the reason why police allow heavy vehicles to take the service road next to the BDA flyover by opening the barricade. These are the classic examples of poor road design. The Cauvery junction underpass situation is also well known,” he told BM.
Sunil Gowda, another motorist, said, “It is not just the width of the road, but the uneven surface. You can’t have smooth travel at all as the road is not laid properly. One can get a wobbling feeling while driving on the BBMP-built road. The road built by NHAI is comparatively better.”
