The alternate road to KIA is finally here! Unofficially thrown open to the public on Monday, a day before Aero India 2017 kicks off, this road will bring relief to harried commuters. There’s a lot lacking — the road is in bad condition and citizens trying to catch a flight are likely to avoid it. Experts agree that while it can be spruced up in time, throwing open HAL for shorthaul flights is the more sustainable solution.
After much dillydallying, the much sought after alternative road to the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) was unofficially thrown open to the public Monday afternoon. With the five-day Aero India 2017 taking off on Tuesday, the alternative road that will officially open the same day, could come as a huge relief to commuters on the busy Ballari Road leading to KIA. But the journey from the Begur village to the circle where the traffic from KIA merges with the rest will be muddy, dusty and bumpy until the Public Works Department gives the route its final touches.
Traffic expert, M. N. Sreehari believes the alternative road may divert about 40 per cent of the current traffic on Ballari Road, taking a huge load off it. “Air passengers from the Eastern and South Eastern parts of the city will benefit majorly. The alternative road is however, not uniform and will have to be improved for a smooth and accident- free ride to the airport,” he observes.
Read | Guest column: Various routes need to be developed to ease traffic on Ballari Road
Could the Navayuga contractor, who executed the elevated road to the airport, object to the alternative road? In his view he may have no reason to unless the alternative road runs parallel to the elevated road.
Additional commissioner of police (traffic), R. Hitendra says the traffic police will be posted along the route to divert and guide the cabs heading to KIA from the alternative road for a few days till they get accustomed to it. Noting that there has been a demand for the alternative road for some time, he says it is bound to ease congestion on the busy KIA road, especially during Aero India 2017.
Mr Naresh Narasimhan, an architect and commuter, hopes the alternative road will in time be improved and made accident -free. But he believes the government needs to focus on using the HAL airport for short haul flights to Mangaluru, Belagavi and Chennai and for intra state air service to take the pressure off the busy Ballari Road despite the opening of an alternative route to the KIA.
The alternatives
The alternative Road to airport set to open on February 14 will run via Hennur, Kannur, Bagalur, Mylasandra, Begur to KIAL.
Other not so popular alternative road to KIAL:
- From southern and western part of city: Via Yeshwanthpur, GKVK, Yelahanka , avoiding the bottleneck at Hebbal.
- From the south-east and eastern parts of city: Via Thanisandra, Nagawara, Bagalur and SH 104.
- From extreme eastern parts of the city: Via K R Puram, Bagalur and SH 104.
- From north eastern parts of the city: Via Hoskote road, state highway 35 and via Devanahalli.
Residents who parted with property in no mood to celebrate
While the alternative road to KIAL from Hennur and Thanisandra is likely to prove a huge help to people of East and South East Bengaluru heading for the airport, those living in villages that the road cuts through and the landowners, who have parted with their properties for it, are hardly in a mood to celebrate.
Says 55-year old Narayanappa of Begur village, who had to part with 1.20 acres for the road, "Some two months ago, officials of the Public Works Department began surveying our land and informed us that the government was planning to buy it for the alternative road to the airport. I have been offered Rs 8 lakh for my land when its value could run into crores once the muddy road to the airport becomes a fully developed tarred route to it. The money I have been offered is not big enough to invest in anything.”
Another villager, Muniraju of Kannur, who has a poultry farm not far from the Kannur Road, is afraid that the toll- free alternative road could lead to heavier traffic in the area 24x7 and affect the health and growth of his poultry. “I may have to invest in sound barriers,” he adds worriedly.
While these villagers are dreading the impact of the alternative road on their livelihoods, shopkeepers and tender coconut and sugarcane juice vendors here are looking forward to it boosting their business. Real estate too is expected to boom along the stretch as land on either side of the road could be exploited commercially to cater to the airport passengers.
