Junction Improvement at Byatarayanpura and Kodigehalli
Bengaluru : Pedestrians crossing the busy 60-metre-wide Ballari Road at Byatarayanapura and Kodigehalli junctions can now expect a safer passage, with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) implementing a series of road-safety measures at these accident-prone stretches on NH-44. About 80% of the work has been completed at the first two junctions. NHAI is spending Rs 20 lakh at each junction. Between 2019 and 2023, the two junctions recorded 11 and six fatalities, respectively, with pedestrians accounting for nearly 30% of the deaths, according to the Bengaluru traffic police road safety report. The interventions include about 133m of safe pedestrian crossings, 240sqm of refuge areas and 1,600sqm of newly developed footpaths. Karnataka recorded 4,278 fatalities on national highways in 2024, while Bengaluru reported 793 road deaths, including 140 on highway stretches.
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An NHAI official said the authority had taken up junction improvement works at three locations — Byatarayanapura, Kodigehalli and Jakkur near GKVK. “The interventions are intended to provide pedestrians with designated crossing points and refuge areas, allowing them to cross the busy highway in stages rather than negotiate multiple lanes of moving traffic at once,” the official said. The improvements are aimed at addressing a long-standing concern for pedestrians, who had to negotiate fast-moving traffic on the main carriageway and service roads, often without designated crossing points or safe spaces to wait midway. The new measures include pedestrian refuge islands in road medians and between the main carriageway and service roads, clearly marked crossings, reflective road studs, safety signboards and guard rails. Footpaths have also been improved to provide safer walking access. Work at Jakkur will be taken up at a later stage as Metro construction is under way there. Byatarayanapura and Kodigehalli were identified as recurring road accident blackspots in north Bengaluru. The works were undertaken in coordination with traffic police, Greater Bengaluru Authority and Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd, with technical support from WRI India under the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety and Compartment S4. Speed-calming measures, road markings, reflective studs and safety signage have also been installed to improve visibility and regulate vehicle speeds. The broader road safety figures highlight the urgency of such interventions. Download the TOI App.