By M. Gautham Machaiah
The media has been going hammer and tongs over the poor connectivity to the newly constructed Bangalore international airport at Devanahalli. Newspapers and television channels have estimated that it would take at least two to three hours to reach the airport from the city centre.
Two weeks ago, I decided to do a reality check. On a Saturday, I left MG Road at 11 am. At 11.45 flat, I was at the trumpet interchange leading to the airport. Agreed, the traffic is thin on a weekend, but two to three hours seems to a bit far fetched.
Once the ‘magic boxes’ which facilitate the free flow of traffic are in place, the drive should not exceed one hour. However, there are still some bottlenecks which need to be addressed.
The first is the junction at the erstwhile High Grounds police station, where one is confronted by an unending stream of traffic. The next potential nightmare is the road over the tackily contructed ‘magic box’ near Cauvery theatre which does not facilitate a smooth U-turn.
Numerous intersections dot the road up to Yelahanka which severely hamper the free flow of traffic. After Yelahanka, it is smooth drive up to the airport. Construction of flyovers, underpasses and skywalks at these intersections will guarantee a hassle free ride.
However, on reaching Devanahalli one notices that the trumpet interchange leading to the airport is still under construction. Which means, there is no decent approach to the airport from the highway. Under the circumstances, one wonders why the Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) has been pushing for an early inauguration.
Was it just to prove a point that the project was completed well within the deadline?
BIAL might have built a world class airport, but let us not forget that the cake is incomplete without the icing.
The media has been going hammer and tongs over the poor connectivity to the newly constructed Bangalore international airport at Devanahalli. Newspapers and television channels have estimated that it would take at least two to three hours to reach the airport from the city centre.
Two weeks ago, I decided to do a reality check. On a Saturday, I left MG Road at 11 am. At 11.45 flat, I was at the trumpet interchange leading to the airport. Agreed, the traffic is thin on a weekend, but two to three hours seems to a bit far fetched.
Once the ‘magic boxes’ which facilitate the free flow of traffic are in place, the drive should not exceed one hour. However, there are still some bottlenecks which need to be addressed.
The first is the junction at the erstwhile High Grounds police station, where one is confronted by an unending stream of traffic. The next potential nightmare is the road over the tackily contructed ‘magic box’ near Cauvery theatre which does not facilitate a smooth U-turn.
Numerous intersections dot the road up to Yelahanka which severely hamper the free flow of traffic. After Yelahanka, it is smooth drive up to the airport. Construction of flyovers, underpasses and skywalks at these intersections will guarantee a hassle free ride.
However, on reaching Devanahalli one notices that the trumpet interchange leading to the airport is still under construction. Which means, there is no decent approach to the airport from the highway. Under the circumstances, one wonders why the Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) has been pushing for an early inauguration.
Was it just to prove a point that the project was completed well within the deadline?
BIAL might have built a world class airport, but let us not forget that the cake is incomplete without the icing.
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