Signal-free corridor on Old Airport Road soon

By Anuksha Dey

The work at Kundalahalli underpass has finally restarted after a delay of six months. The road tunnel is part of a project to create a signal-free corridor on Old Airport Road that will facilitate easier access from Vellara Junction to Hope Farm. The project was previously stalled due to land acquisition problems. However, with 18 of the 27 properties now acquired, the construction work has resumed.

Project unfinished for over two years

The construction of the Kundalahalli underpass project began in March 2019. Though part of the road near the Kundalahalli gate was dug up, the construction could not be completed due to the complications with land acquisition and the lack of funds for compensation. Clement Jayakumar, Ex-BBMP Council Member and a resident of the area says, “BBMP can only acquire land by the TRD process as the owners did not agree to this. The cash payment process was initiated even though it was not acceptable to the landowners. They objected to this formula as they wanted compensation on par with the Metro that goes through multiple levels of approvals. This delayed the underpass project.”

Current status

The demolition of the acquired buildings have begun, and the land is being readied to build a service road. However, nine more properties remain to be acquired. “It should take about 6-8 months for the project to be completed,” Jayakumar told Residents Watch. 

BBMP has a Rs 48.2 crore budget for land acquisition while the construction budget is Rs 20 crore. However, it might take some time before the project is completed. Meanwhile, the half-done construction continues to be a pain for those travelling to the city centre from Whitefield.

Why this project is critical

The importance of Kundalahalli junction is that it lies at a key location on Old Airport Road. As this area is close to many of the city’s tech hubs, thousands of techies will be saved from the daily traffic congestion. The signal-free corridor on Old Airport Road is a massive project by the BBMP that consists of six flyovers and underpasses that will connect Ashok Nagar to Whitefield. The signal-free corridor was scheduled to be completed in September 2021 while the Kundalahali underpass was to be completed in June 2021. However, whether BBMP can meet these fast-approaching deadlines remains to be seen.