Double-decker flyover eases Silk Board traffic but sparks new congestion issues in surrounding areas
The traffic jams on the Silk Board Junction in Bengaluru have been the stuff of urban folklore, spawning multiple memes and jokes. But the opening of the much-awaited double-decker flyover, stretching 5.1 km from the upcoming Ragigudda metro station to Central Silk Board, has indeed partially eased traffic at the Silk Board stretch. However, several diversions made by the traffic police to make the flyover easily accessible have led to increased traffic in the surrounding areas.
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) constructed the flyover at a cost of ₹449 crore to alleviate the infamous traffic bottleneck at the Central Silk Board junction. It was meant to offer a smoother and quicker route for commuters heading towards K.R. Puram and Hosur Road, potentially cutting travel time by over 30%.
Early in August, during a visit to the stretch by The Hindu, it was observed that only vehicles from Ragigudda were using the flyover, and a significant amount of traffic that comes from BTM Layout, J.P. Nagar, and Bannerghatta Road continued to congest the roads below. The bottleneck near BTM Layout and Central Silk Board remained a significant issue. A more recent visit revealed that commuters and residents around the flyover ramp have also been experiencing unanticipated and increased traffic in the last month.
Multiple diversions
The Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP), to make the flow to the flyover smooth, have stopped right turn at junctions near the entry to the flyover, forcing commuters to take longer routes negotiating bottlenecks.
Those coming from Jayanagar 4th block or passing through Shalini Ground and those wanting to enter Banashankari or Kanakapura Road are now forced to go all the way to Sarakki market instead of taking a right turn at the Raghavendra Swamy Mutt Signal.
Commuters coming from Banashankari or Sangam Circle wanting to enter J.P. Nagar will have to take a U-turn at the Rajalakshmi Hospital and enter via Sarakki or go all the way till the Central Mall in Jayanagar 9th Block and take a diversion from there.
Another major issue with the diversion is that commuters coming from J.P. Nagar are forced to go an extra 1.5 or 2 km to enter the ramp of the flyover, as the right diversion has been stopped from J.P. Nagar 1st phase and 2nd phase, towards Marenahalli.
Speaking to The Hindu, Bharath Raavudi, a resident of J.P. Nagar 2nd phase, said that though the double-decker flyover has eased his travel at the Silk Board Junction, entering the flyover itself is a challenge.
“I travel from J.P. Nagar to HSR Layout every day. To get on the flyover, I must go all the way to Shalini Ground or Rajalakshmi Hospital and take a U-turn to enter the ramp, which is an extra 1-2 km ride for me every day. An extra kilometre is not such a problem, but another important junction that has been closed near Glen’s Bakehouse in Jayanagar has increased the traffic tremendously. Since right diversions have been closed, many bus routes have also been changed, adding more complications to commuters,” he added.
The right turn has been prohibited at junctions near the entry to the flyover, forcing commuters to take longer routes negotiating bottlenecks.
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K. BHAGYA PRAKASH
Right turn has also been stopped at the junction near Glen’s Bakehouse in Jayanagar, which was a major connecting road for commuters from J.P. Nagar, Sarakki, Banashankari, towards Jayanagar 5th block and Marenahalli.
Vinay Shastry, who travels regularly from South End to J.P. Nagar, said the right diversions at the Raghavendra Swamy Mutt signal have only added to the existing traffic.
“Over the last few months, traffic has increased all the way from South End, Nanda Theatre Road, R.V. Road and towards J.P. Nagar. The recently added Japanese traffic signals (adaptive traffic signals conceptualised by the Directorate of Urban Land Transport) at the entire R.V. Road stretch have also increased traffic at service roads and residential areas across the stretch as people try to escape the signals. In the last one or two months, it has become hard to commute at these junctions, and it takes 15-20 minutes to commute a stretch of 2-5 km. With the right turns also being closed now, it looks like to ease traffic at the Silk Board junction, a new Silk Board Junction-like situation is being formed at the Raghavendra Swamy Mutt signal,” he added.
Always a bottleneck
A traffic police official regularly handling the signals at the Raghavendra Swamy Mutt Signal said that despite the right turn being stopped, traffic continues at the junction.
“Even before the flyover opened to the public, there has always been traffic here due to the devotees coming in large numbers to the Raghavendra Swamy Mutt on Thursdays and the weekend crowd entering J.P. Nagar to go to the pubs and eateries. Now that the flyover is open, whether it is the weekdays or the weekend, there is uncontrollable traffic at this junction during peak hours. The right diversions are stopped only at this junction to make sure there is a smooth flow to the flyover right; turns are open elsewhere, and people can use those roads,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru South DCP Shivaprakash Devaraju said traffic has decreased since the diversions were stopped.
“The entrance of the double-decker flyover has caused heavy congestion in the areas of Jayanagar and J.P. Nagar. Commuters from half of the city take this route now. Allowing right turns will lead to multiple deadlocks, leading to unmanageable traffic on all lanes connecting the entrance of the flyover. We have observed that after stopping the right turn, the entire lane has gotten freer. We showed a few residents and commuters the advantage of closing in on the right turns by taking them along with us on these lanes. People who want to access the flyover or move from one area to another must do an additional commuting of not more than 200-300 meters, which is not a lot,” he added.
Need for consultation
On the other hand, traffic expert Prof. M.N. Srihari said cutting off the right turn is not the only solution.
“Firstly, the flyover stretches up to 5 km and has only one entry and exit point, which is problematic and an extra burden for commuters who want to take the flyover. Secondly, closing right diversions to smoothen entry to the flyover is unscientific. It will only lead to congestion in neighbouring lanes. The traffic police department are not traffic experts, the police are transferred multiple times to various departments, and they are not trained to handle such situations. The Bengaluru Traffic Police must consider consulting a traffic expert or advisor immediately, who can analyse the situation and give a plan,” he says.
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