Traffic Snarls Continue As Kanteerava Underpass On Outer Ring Road Remains Stalled

A half-finished underpass at the crucial Kanteerava Studio junction on Outer Ring Road (ORR) in Bengaluru has been closed off with mud to prevent motorists from entering what appears to be a tunnel to nowhere. This precautionary measure was taken to prevent accidents, as the structure could become a death trap during rains. The underpass has a down ramp from the Tumakuru Road side, but it doesn't come up at the other end in front of Kanteerava Studio due to land acquisition issues that have persisted for at least five years.

In the past, motorists have driven into the pit without realizing it was incomplete, resulting in accidents and near-misses. Civic officials closed the entrance to prevent such incidents from occurring.

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) aimed to make ORR signal-free by building a flyover and an underpass at Kanteerava Studio junction. However, land acquisition issues have hindered the project's progress.

The flyover was completed in 2019, but the underpass remains unfinished. The estimated cost of land acquisition was initially ₹37 crore, but it has now risen to ₹80 crore. The BDA has compensated eight property owners and acquired some properties, but the process is ongoing.

Until the project is completed, motorists must take a circuitous route around the junction, which often leads to traffic snarls and chaos.

"The stretch of ORR is a mess," said Avinash K., a techie who commutes on this stretch daily. "There are bottlenecks at Hebbal junction, Goraguntepalya junction, Kanteerava junction, and Hosakerehalli junction."

The BDA plans to extend the underpass by at least 20 meters, which will incur an additional cost of ₹4 crore. However, this extension will not require more land acquisition. Until the project is completed, commuters will continue to face challenges and delays at the Kanteerava Studio junction.