Flyover in approval stage, NHAI to take up works: MP

Mysore/Mysuru: In an attempt to ease the perennial traffic bottleneck on the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway Ring Road junction (Kempegowda Circle) near Manipal Hospital, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha inspected the stretch this morning.

He was accompanied by PWD, Police and other officers. The MP said that the proposal to build a flyover has been sent to the Centre.

“We have foreseen the problem and have sent the flyover proposal a few months back. It is in the approval stage and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will take up the works,” Pratap Simha said.

The Mysuru-Bengaluru National Highway-275, now developed as an Access-Controlled Expressway, meets the Outer Ring Road junction near Manipal Hospital — Mysuru exit point and Bengaluru entry point — has become one of the major traffic bottlenecks.

During peak hours, weekends and holidays, this junction becomes a major cause of traffic congestion and delay as trucks, buses, cars and two-wheelers jostle to move ahead. The wait to cross this junction takes about 30 to 45 minutes and the situation worsens during peak hours, weekends and holidays.

A stop-gap solution: It may be mentioned here that the City Police recently implemented a stop-gap solution to alleviate the frequent traffic congestion at the Kempegowda Circle junction. The Narasimharaja Traffic Police, based on the directives issued by DCP (Crime and Traffic) S. Jahnavi, widened the Circle by relocating the signal light poles approximately 10 feet away from their original positions and reducing the length of the medians.

Furthermore, the length of the medians leading to the Circle from all four directions were reduced. This modification now allows for the passage of four to five vehicles simultaneously, effectively decreasing the travel time during peak hours.

This particular Junction is at one end of the Outer Ring Road circumambulating the city and spanning 42.5 kilometres, interconnecting Bengaluru Road, Bannur Road, T. Narasipur Road, Nanjangud Road, and Hunsur Road. Among these intersections, the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway Junction is the busiest.

During his inspection this morning, MP Pratap Simha asked the PWD and the authorities from the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) to widen the sides of the service roads and asphalt the stretches so that vehicles can move smoothly on the free-left stretches and giving more room for the highway vehicles to pass that particular stretch. 

2019 proposal gathering dust

It is worth mentioning that despite the NHAI’s approval of the proposal to develop the Manipal Hospital Junction in a cloverleaf shape back in 2019, the project never materialised.

Consequently, although the Expressway has reduced travel time between Bengaluru and Mysuru, the advantage of reaching Mysuru faster has been negated due to this delay, as motorists continue to face congestion at the Manipal Hospital Junction.

Stakeholders and road engineers emphasise that the implementation of a Cloverleaf Interchange would significantly alleviate traffic bottlenecks for the foreseeable future. In Bengaluru, Cloverleaf Interchanges have already been successfully deployed at the NICE Road Junction (Bannerghatta to NICE Road) and the Kanakapura Road to NICE Road Junction, greatly facilitating the smooth flow of traffic.

Some have suggested that NHAI engineers should conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether a simpler flyover would suffice instead of the more expensive cloverleaf interchange.