Bengaluru: The proposal to scale down the double-decker flyover from 37km to 11km will shortly be placed before the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) Board for a final decision, potentially bringing an end to the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the ambitious road-and-Metro project.
The road component was estimated to cost around Rs 9,700 crore, with the state govt agreeing to fund it. The 45km Phase III project received Centre’s approval in Aug 2024, but BMRCL could not proceed with construction after the state proposed incorporating the double-decker road infrastructure. The consultancy also flagged engineering complications, noting that the combined structure could rise to nearly 35 metres at some locations to cross existing flyovers and Metro corridors. Financial viability was another concern: while the Metro-only project has an estimated economic internal rate of return (EIRR) of around 17%, the figure falls below the 14% benchmark when the double-decker component is included. When the project was initially proposed, road-cum-Metro flyovers were planned only at two locations — one to ease traffic congestion at Sarakki Junction, over the existing Green Line, for a length of 1.4km, and another from Kamakya to Ittamadu-Hoskerehalli for a length of 1.5km.
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Sources said that BMRCL has managed to convince the state govt to reconsider its earlier plan to build an end-to-end double-decker structure along the Namma Metro Phase III corridors. Instead, the corporation is now looking at shorter double-decker stretches at key junctions where traffic congestion is particularly severe. The move follows recommendations by engineering consultancy RITES, which advised against constructing a continuous double-decker flyover along the entire corridor. RITES suggested that BMRCL should instead focus on specific locations where elevated road infrastructure could help ease major traffic bottlenecks. A technical study by the IISc Sustainable Transportation Lab also raised serious concerns over constructing a double-decker flyover along the proposed Orange Line. BMRCL had proposed a 37km double-decker structure along Namma Metro’s Phase III Orange Line, with a road flyover at the lower level and the Metro viaduct above. Chief minister DK Shivakumar , who was then handling Bengaluru’s development portfolio as deputy CM, had backed the proposal, arguing that additional road capacity would help ease congestion. With the project facing delays, BMRCL commissioned engineering consultancy RITES to examine the feasibility of the double-decker plan. In its report, RITES raised questions over the viability of constructing an end-to-end elevated road alongside the Metro. It cautioned that continuously adding road capacity could encourage greater private-vehicle use and undermine the Metro’s objective of shifting commuters to public transport. BMRCL is now considering a shorter, targeted approach, with double-decker structures proposed only at major traffic bottlenecks. Possible locations include Hebbal, BEL Circle, Goraguntepalya, Sumanahalli Cross, Nagarbhavi, Nayandahalli, Kamakya Junction, Sarakki Junction, Delmia flyover and Vega City Mall. Download the TOI App.