Bengaluru: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will shortly begin excavation work for the construction of a 750-metre, six-lane underpass at Sadahalli Junction. The project is aimed at removing the last traffic signal on the main carriageway of Ballari Road connecting the city to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). The work is expected to take a year for completion.A senior NHAI official said the underpass would be constructed in phases to minimise traffic disruption on the busy highway. NHAI official said the traffic police have given their consent for diversions at the junction during the construction period. “The contract for the Rs 35-crore project has already been awarded and the contractor is mobilising the required manpower and machinery. Barricading of the work site has begun. Initially, two lanes of the main carriageway will be taken up for excavation after constructing retaining structures, allowing sufficient space for traffic movement,” the official said.More than 1.1 lakh vehicles pass through the Sadahalli toll plaza every day. The toll plaza is located at a short distance from the junction where the underpass is proposed. This is not the first time the NHAI has attempted to address the traffic bottleneck at Sadahalli. About a decade ago, the agency had proposed an overpass at the junction, but the plan did not materialise. In 2019, the NHAI took up the project building an underpass, but the proposal was subsequently shelved due to several factors, including design-related issues.The latest project is aimed at eliminating the only traffic signal on the main carriageway between Hebbal and Sadahalli. On the 22-km stretch, the Sadahalli Junction is the only signal on the main road. Given the heavy volume of vehicles, managing traffic heading towards KIA will be a challenge once construction begins.A traffic police officer said the NHAI has issued the work order and barricading has been put up at the site. “Once construction begins, traffic diversions will be introduced to facilitate the work,” the official said.NHAI is also carrying out construction works near Yelahanka Air Force Station. The NHAI official said the first phase of the project building service road near the air force station, will be completed before Aero India 2027. Cut-and-cover construction will be taken up after Feb.NHAI takes over Electronics City elevated corridorFrom Sept 10, the NHAI will take over the 10-km Electronics City elevated corridor, connecting Silk Board with Electronics City. The concession agreement for toll collection at the Electronics Toll Plaza ended on Sept 10, after Bengaluru Elevated Tollway Ltd operated the road for 16 years.An NHAI official said toll collection would continue at the existing rates. Motorists have been demanding exemption from toll payments on the corridor, which is widely used for daily commuting within the city limits.Recently, the traffic police had proposed restricting the movement of two-wheelers on Airport Road and the Electronics City corridor, but later withdrew the proposal.
