South India's First Double-Decker Rail-Cum-Road Flyover Opens for Trial Run

South India's first double-decker rail-cum-road flyover in Bengaluru was partially opened for a trial run. Built at a cost of Rs 449 crore, this 5.25 km flyover aims to ease traffic congestion. It forms part of the Yellow Line of Bengaluru Metro and connects Ragigudda to Central Silk Board.

South India's first double-decker rail-cum-road flyover here was on Wednesday partially opened for a trial run for the public, officials said.

Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D K Shivakumar conducted a 'trial walk' on the newly built flyover, which stretches from Ragigudda to Central Silk Board, and is part of the Yellow Line of the Bengaluru Metro. Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy and other officials also joined the event, they said.

This double decker flyover built by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) at a cost of Rs 449 crore will be open for vehicular movement only on one side of the flyover, officials said. Shivakumar said that the double decker flyover model would be followed for the future metro lines.

''Land acquisition is a difficult task these days. Double decker flyovers are very useful for easing the traffic, though they are slightly expensive,'' he said.

''The current 5.25 km double decker flyover has cost Rs 450 crore and it is not very expensive considering the current cost structures. The BBMP and BMRCL would share the cost of this project. The Chief Minister, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy and I have held many discussions on easing traffic in Bengaluru,'' he said.

''This double decker flyover would benefit about 30 per cent of the people who commute towards Hosur Road. This will help people of Electronic city, HSR Layout and Mahadevapura. A plan at the cost of Rs 5,475 crore has been conceived to build a 9.5 km elevated 5 lane road in Bengaluru," he said.

According to Metro officials, the Central Silk Board Junction intersects with both the Outer Ring Road and Hosur Road. It is the busiest junction of Bengaluru city, which has a large volume of vehicular movement and is a bottleneck for traffic flow. The rail-cum-road flyover has been built to ease the traffic congestion at the Central Silk Board Junction from Ragigudda to Central Silk Board with loops and ramps. In a statement, BMRCL said, ''As on date, the rail-cum-road flyover from Ragigudda to Central Silk Board is complete along with loops and ramps of length 5.12 km. It facilitates signal-free travel from Ragigudda to reach HSR Layout and Hosur Road and this will immensely benefit road travellers towards KR Pura and Hosur Road, saving time by more than 30 per cent.'' The ramps from HSR Layout connecting to the road flyover towards Ragigudda and BTM layout for a length of 1.37 km is still under construction and expected to be commissioned by June-2025, it stated. According to the BMRCL, this rail-cum-road flyover stands as a testament to Bengaluru's foray into innovative infrastructure.

(With inputs from agencies.)