BENGALURU
Smart Infrastructure Limited’s (B-SMILE) recent modification in the alignment of the proposed Twin Tunnel Road (TTR) project has once again left citizens worried.
Concerned residents argue that the new exit ramp proposed at 18th Cross in Malleswaram will increase traffic congestion, contrary to its intended purpose of decongesting the route. They point out that the junction already receives traffic from the city’s west, Malleshwaram and Yeshwanthpur, as well as from Majestic and Sadashivnagar.
Given this scenario, the ramp would unleash an influx of vehicles directly into one of the city’s most sensitive heritage areas.
Notably, B-SMILE has recently dropped three entry and exit ramps earlier proposed at Mekhri Circle in favour of a new entry ramp that will pass underneath Sankey Road before emerging at 18th Cross. Earlier plans had proposed four ramps each at Vidhana Soudha, Mekhri Circle and Hebbal, along with two ramps each at St John’s Hospital and Lalbagh.
Proposed alignment suggests the ramp will go below or adjacent to Stella Maris School, TTD Kalyana Mantapa, and under the iconic Chowdaiah Hall. Hundreds of cars will exit from this ramp, and the junction of Sankey Road and 18th Cross in Malleswaram will face gridlock. Vehicles will either proceed towards IISc, turn left to Malleshwaram, or make a U-turn at the junction, causing traffic chaos. The ramp will be roughly 10 meters wide, putting all structures on the other side at risk, said Rajkumar Dugar, civic activist and founder of Citizens for Citizens.
