Hebbal Flyover Loop: New Lanes Connecting Tumakuru Road to Mehkri Circle to Open by Mid-December

Bengaluru's long-awaited Hebbal flyover expansion is finally reaching the end of its second phase, bringing hope for smoother traffic flow along one of the city's busiest corridors. The final connection between the Tumakuru Road loop and the Baptist Hospital ramp is now in its last stage of construction and is expected to be completed by mid-December.

What the New Link Will Change

Once inaugurated, this new alignment will provide additional lanes for vehicles coming from the Esteem Mall service road and Tumakuru Road. These lanes will merge seamlessly onto the route heading toward Mehkri Circle, reducing the stop-and-go traffic that has plagued the junction for years.

The link is built inside the tree park area near the junction, connecting the existing loop with the newer ramp coming from the Baptist Hospital side.

Why the Project Matters

The Hebbal junction has long been one of Bengaluru's most congested choke points-especially with the rising vehicular load from Kempegowda International Airport. The expansion aims to relieve pressure caused by seven different traffic streams that converge at the flyover:

Airport-bound traffic

Vehicles from Tumakuru Road

Commuters from Esteem Mall

KR Pura traffic

Outer Ring Road

Service roads

Local Hebbal-bound movement

While a previous proposal to extend the ramp directly to the airport side was considered, it was eventually shelved.

Phase 1 Finished, But New Pressure Emerged

In August, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) completed the first phase, connecting the Baptist Hospital ramp with the loop carrying traffic from KR Pura. Traffic police recorded a 20-30% drop in congestion at the Hebbal junction after the partial opening.

However, this improvement created a downstream challenge: the faster-moving traffic eventually piled up at Mehkri Circle, another busy intersection approximately three kilometres away. Officials caution that unless Mehkri Circle is redesigned, the benefits at Hebbal will remain limited.

More Projects in the Pipeline

To address future traffic growth, the BDA has proposed two additional infrastructure projects around Hebbal:

A 700-metre flyover connecting vehicles from KR Pura directly to the airport highway

A unidirectional underpass for smoother flow from Tumakuru Road toward Nagawara

Together, these projects are estimated to cost ₹300 crore, and tendering for the new flyover is expected soon.

Meanwhile, civic group B-Smile has floated an alternative idea: a 2.2 km cut-and-cover tunnel from Hebbal to the Veterinary College, though this proposal has not progressed.

What Commuters Can Expect Next

With the second-phase ramp now nearly complete, commuters can anticipate improved movement through Hebbal once the link opens. While the relief may be partial until downstream upgrades at Mehkri Circle take shape, the new connection is expected to ease bottlenecks that have frustrated drivers for over a decade.