Time saved on Expressway lost in traffic congestion

Clover Leaf Interchange sought near Manipal Hospital or exits towards Ring Road before the Junction

Mysore/Mysuru: The Bengaluru-Mysuru National Highway-275, now developed as a 10-lane Access-Controlled Expressway that meets the Outer Ring Road Junction near Manipal Hospital, 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 get ahead. The wait to cross this junction takes about 30 to 45 minutes.

The delayed entry of ambulances into the hospital due to traffic congestion is putting patients life in danger, as crucial  timely medical intervention cannot be given.

Though the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had approved the proposal of developing the Manipal Hospital Junction in a clover leaf shape way back in 2019, the project never saw the light of the day.

Now, as the Expressway is ready for inauguration on Mar. 2nd or 3rd week, the plan of clover leaf has got traction, with commuters demanding the NHAI implement this earlier proposal.

In a letter to MP Pratap Simha, NGO Mysuru Grahakara Parishat (MGP) pointed out that while the Expressway has helped shorten the commute time from Bengaluru to Mysuru, the advantage of reaching Mysuru faster was defeated because motorists get stuck at the Manipal Hospital Junction.

MGP, in its letter, has mentioned “Though in 2019, the NHAI had planned to build a flyover at the cost of Rs. 150 crores, in 2022, the NHAI officers contradicted by stating that Manipal Hospital Junction flyover was never a part of the original Expressway project.”

But the fact is that Manipal Hospital Junction is a vital junction that must be considered in the Expressway plan as it is the first and only point of entry for Mysuru city and other districts as soon as the vehicles come down the Expressway.

Clover Leaf Interchange has been implemented on the NICE Road Junction, Bannerghatta to NICE Road and Kanakapura Road to NICE Road in Bengaluru, which has greatly helped the smooth traffic flow.

It has been suggested that the NHAI engineers must carry out a cost-benefit analysis on whether a simple flyover will suffice instead of the expensive clover leaf exchange.

Some have suggested a new road be laid before the Manipal Hospital Junction, which could run directly from the Expressway to the Ring Road on either side.

Commuters who want to proceed towards Kodagu, T. Narasipur, Nanjangud or other areas in city along the Ring Road can use these two exits. This early diversion of traffic will avoid clogging at the Manipal Hospital Junction.