Trial runs commenced on road-cum-metro flyover under Bengaluru metro phase II

Trial runs on a 3.3 km long road-cum-metro rail flyover connecting Ragigudda and Central Silk Board of Marenahalli Road under the Bengaluru metro rail project – phase II commenced on July 17, 2024. The same was built at a cost of Rs 4.49 billion.

The project involves the construction of four extensions and two new lines covering a length of 72.09 km (13.79 km underground and 58.3 km elevated), in Karnataka at an investment of Rs 306.95 billion.

The much-awaited double decker flyover from Bengaluru’s Ragigudda to Central Silk Board junction was inaugurated on Wednesday 17 July by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy.

 The rail-cum-road flyover, which is now open for vehicular traffic, has been built at a cost of Rs 449 and consists of loops and ramps.

While inaugurating the flyover, which is the first in southern India, Shivakumar said it is a “historic” moment for Bengaluru and stated that the government is considering building 150 km of flyovers and signal-free corridors in order to decongest Bengaluru.

The double-decker signal-free flyover is located near the Central Silk Board junction that intersects both the Outer Ring Road and Hosur Road. It is built over one of the busiest junctions of Bengaluru which is infamous for traffic snarls.

The flyover stretches 5.12 km from Ragigudda to Central Silk Board and includes various loops and ramps designed to facilitate a smooth flow of traffic. The project aims to provide signal-free travel from Ragigudda to HSR Layout and Hosur Road, promising to reduce travel time by more than 30 per cent for commuters heading towards K R Pura and Hosur Road.

While the main flyover is operational, the ramps from HSR Layout connecting Ragigudda and BTM Layout, covering a length of 1.37 km, are still under construction and are expected to be completed by June 2025.

The double-decker flyover consists of a Metro line on the upper deck while the lower deck is meant for vehicular traffic. The Metro project is part of the Reach 5 Line under the Phase-2 Project. The elevated Metro corridor connects R V Road to Bommasandra, covering 19.15 km and 16 stations. It consists of two interchange stations, including one at Jayadeva Junction which boasts of a road underpass, road fly over, Reach 5-line Metro platform and Reach 6-line Metro platform.