Traffic congestion has long been a defining feature of daily travel in Bengaluru, particularly at major junctions where several arterial roads converge. Hebbal, located at the northern edge of the city,
is one such hotspot, handling heavy traffic from central Bengaluru, Yelahanka, the Outer Ring Road and the airport corridor. After years of delays and partial fixes, commuters are now seeing a tangible change at this crucial junction.
An additional ramp on the Hebbal flyover was opened for trial traffic on Saturday evening, offering relief to motorists who routinely face long queues at the junction. The ramp is part of a Bangalore Development Authority project aimed at easing congestion at one of the city’s busiest intersections by redistributing traffic more efficiently.
Two-phase construction explained
The new ramp has been constructed in two phases. The first phase, a one-kilometre stretch connecting the area near Baptist Hospital to the KR Puram loop, became operational on August 18. Officials estimate that this section alone reduced traffic congestion at the Hebbal junction by around 25 to 30 percent.
The second phase, which has now opened, extends the ramp by another 220 metres. This portion connects further to the Tumakuru Road loop inside Tree Park and is supported by 33 piers. With the completion of this stretch, traffic from key northern neighbourhoods can move more smoothly through the junction without being forced into multiple merging points.
Safety barrier work still pending
While vehicles have begun using the new ramp, officials say one critical element is still pending. A safety barrier needs to be constructed to separate the additional ramp from the existing lane used by vehicles heading towards Kempegowda International Airport. This barrier is expected to take about three days to complete.
Once installed, the barrier is expected to reduce conflicts between different streams of traffic and improve overall safety and traffic flow at the junction.
Who stands to benefit the most
Motorists from areas such as Yelahanka, Jakkur, Sanjaynagar and Kempapura are expected to benefit the most from the additional ramp. For daily commuters from these localities, the new alignment offers a way to bypass some of the most congested portions of Hebbal, particularly during peak morning and evening hours.
Will congestion shift elsewhere?
Traffic experts caution that congestion may not disappear entirely but could instead shift to nearby junctions. Mehkri Circle, located a short distance away, already experiences heavy traffic during rush hours and could see increased pressure as movement through Hebbal becomes smoother.
Road widening and infrastructure upgrades planned for Mehkri Circle are yet to be implemented, which may limit the overall impact of the new ramp on traffic conditions in the broader area.
The additional ramp was first proposed in 2015 but faced repeated delays due to design changes, funding issues and administrative hurdles. Construction gathered momentum around two and a half years ago after revisions to the project plan, eventually leading to the phased opening now underway.
More projects planned for Hebbal
The Hebbal ramp is part of a wider set of infrastructure plans for north Bengaluru. The Bangalore Development Authority has proposed a new flyover connecting Nagawara to National Highway 44, a unidirectional underpass between Tumakuru Road and Nagawara, and a 2.2-kilometre cut-and-cover tunnel from Hebbal to Veterinary College Road.
The tunnel project is currently estimated to cost around Rs 2,125 crore and is intended to ease long-distance traffic movement across the northern part of the city.
What this means for commuters now
For now, commuters have a visible improvement they can experience on the road. While the additional ramp alone will not eliminate congestion at Hebbal, it represents a meaningful step in a long-running effort to make one of Bengaluru’s busiest junctions more manageable for everyday travel.
