Project cost Rs. 120 crore; To ease bottlenecks at Kempegowda Circle
Mysore/Mysuru: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has begun construction of a grade separator on the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway at Kempegowda Circle (Manipal Hospital Junction).
The grade separator is being built at a cost of Rs. 120 crore and forms part of a larger Rs. 712 crore safety and infrastructure package approved by the Centre for the Highway. The construction contract has been awarded to Haryana-based Dhariwal Build Tech Ltd.
Work has commenced at the site, involving a structured, multi-phase process that includes site preparation, excavation and foundation laying.
The road has been excavated to a depth of about 20 feet near the Bengaluru-bound entry point and similar work will be taken up on the remaining three approaches to the junction. The project is expected to be completed within two years.
Kempegowda Circle is a major traffic junction catering to vehicles travelling towards Mysuru city, Kodagu, Mangaluru, Nanjangud and Ooty. Once completed, the grade separator is expected to ease vehicular congestion and ensure smoother traffic flow in all four directions — Bengaluru via the Highway, Mysuru city roads, Hunsur Road and Bannur-T. Narasipur Road.
Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar said that the Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway had long suffered from traffic bottlenecks.
Proposal to Centre
“A proposal to construct a grade separator to ease congestion was submitted to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and was later followed up with certain modifications. Issues related to land acquisition have now been resolved, allowing work to begin. I will personally monitor the project to ensure it is completed within the stipulated two-year deadline,” he said.
In June 2024, CM Siddaramaiah, along with Dy.CM D.K. Shivakumar and Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwar, had submitted a memorandum to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, seeking approval for a flyover at the place.
The Manipal Hospital Junction has witnessed several accidents in the past, with motorists sustaining both major and minor injuries. Prolonged traffic snarls due to accidents and bottlenecks at the Mysuru exit point have also been reported.
As a temporary measure, the length of the medians leading to Kempegowda Circle was reduced from all four directions to allow four to five vehicles to pass simultaneously, helping reduce travel time during peak hours.
Despite these measures, congestion continues, with vehicles often taking 30 to 45 minutes to cross the junction during peak hours, weekends and long holidays.
This post was published on January 31, 2026 6:45 pm