For years, the very name of the Hebbal flyover in Bengaluru evoked images of endless gridlock and frayed tempers. This critical junction, where traffic from the airport, outer ring road, and city core converged, was a daily ordeal for thousands. However, a significant infrastructure intervention has rewritten its story, turning one of the city's most dreaded bottlenecks into a surprisingly smooth passage.
From Crawl to Cruise: A Ground Reality Check
The transformation became starkly evident during a recent morning peak-hour test. A journey that once meant a grueling 20 to 30-minute crawl for vehicles approaching from the Byataranapura–Kodigehalli–Esteem Mall side was completed in a mere 2 minutes and 15 seconds. This remarkable ride covered a one-kilometre stretch on the service road from Esteem Mall to the Hebbal traffic police station, with speeds hitting between 40 and 60 kmph.
The key to this change is the operationalization of two new traffic loops. These dedicated ramps have effectively segregated the flow of vehicles coming from different directions. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic-North) Jayaprakash explained that earlier, a manual 'stop-and-proceed' or gating action by nearly 15-20 traffic personnel created inevitable bottlenecks. "Now, vehicles coming from the airport, Kodigehalli, and KR Pura move in different lanes, undisturbed, and therefore, there is no traffic jam," he stated. The police deployment has now reduced to just about five officers near the flyover.
Commuters Breathe a Sigh of Relief, But New Pinch Points Emerge
The relief among daily road users is palpable. Roshni Ram, a marketing executive, recalled the old days of praying for a traffic cop to halt airport-side traffic. "The flyover is no longer 'Hebbal headache'," she exclaimed. Dance artiste Anuradha Vikranth from Sahakarnagar now saves at least 20 minutes daily, calling the commute a "pleasure." Food delivery partner Ravi Kiran reported his trip time from Sahakarnagar to RT Nagar plummeting from 50 minutes to just 15.
However, the solution has shifted congestion downstream. Commuters note that the time saved on the flyover is often lost at fresh bottlenecks near Ganganagar, the CBI junction, and the Mehkri Circle underpass. Sumit Jain, a PR professional from Hebbal, pointed out that a BMTC bus stop at the loop's exit and vehicles cutting across to the service road break the flow. "New snarls have cropped up from Baptist Hospital towards Mekhri Circle," he said.
A Work in Progress: Experts and Officials Weigh In
Authorities acknowledge the evolving situation. Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Karthik Reddy described the current experience as akin to a "signal-free corridor" for motorists using the three open lanes. Infrastructure engineer K B Rathnakara Reddy highlighted that the new loops have reduced three major conflict points. He emphasized the need for pedestrian crossings and looked forward to a planned loop from KR Pura towards the airport for further relief.
Yet, some like tech professional Sunder Nileshwar from Manyata Tech Park view the loops as a temporary fix, citing the ongoing Metro construction as the main challenge. Regular commuter Santosh Sapate observed that traffic increased after the New Year holidays but affirmed it is "still better than earlier." He suggested widening the road up to CBI or Mehkri Circle for a complete solution.
The consensus is clear: the Hebbal flyover itself has been successfully decongested, marking a major win for Bengaluru's traffic management. The focus now shifts to addressing the adjacent choke points to solidify this hard-won gain for the city's harried commuters.
