Bengaluru’s South to West Travel Time Slashed by New 10-Lane Toll-Free Road, From 1.5 Hours to 10 Minutes

The 10.8 km Major Arterial Road (MAR), which will connect south Bengaluru to the western part of the city, is expected to be completed in the next couple of months. This 10-lane road runs from Challaghatta (Namma Metro depot) on Mysuru Road to Kadabagere Cross on Magadi Road, paralleling the tolled NICE corridor about 2 km away. It will provide improved connectivity to BDA's Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL), cutting travel time between south and west Bengaluru from 1.5 hours to just 10 minutes.

Initially estimated to cost Rs 465 crore, the project is now expected to be completed at Rs 585 crore. Built by BDA, the road passes through the villages of Kambipura, K Krishna Sagara, Bheemanakuppe, Kommaghatta, Kenchanapura, and Sulikere. While land acquisition for 321.1 acres initially faced challenges, the BDA is currently dealing with issues involving the forest department. The department has yet to approve the diversion of 2 acres of land in the Sulikere reserve forest.

"The work on the railway underpass is progressing well. We are awaiting the completion of the Challaghatta Metro depot to finish the remaining 300 meters of MAR on the Mysuru Road side. We aim to resolve these issues in the next two months, and the road will be ready for use," said a BDA engineer. The land acquisition was notified on July 27, 2011, but tenders were issued only in September 2017, with construction beginning in 2018. The original completion deadline was August 2019.