New Toll-Free Road Linking South & West Bengaluru to Be Ready in a Few Months

The 10.8km toll-free Major Arterial Road (MAR) in Bengaluru that will link the southern and western parts of the city is set to be completed in the next few months. At first, ₹465 crore was estimated to be the cost of the project, but the project kept facing cost escalations and is now expected to end at ₹585 crore. The BDA, which is responsible for constructing the road, is awaiting final clearances from the forest department before proceeding with the project.

Running from Challaghatta Namma Metro depot on Mysuru Road to Kadabagere Cross on Magadi Road, this 10-lane corridor will establish a crucial connection around the adjacent toll-based NICE corridor. The new route will also improve connectivity to the BDA’s Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL). Once operational, the road will save travel time by connecting south and west Bengaluru, reducing travel time from one and a half hours to a mere 10 minutes, as per the officials.

While land for the project was acquired in 2011, work on construction did not start until 2018, after tenders were invited in 2017. The original target to complete was August 2019 was missed due to various issues, including the acquisition of 321.1 acres of land. While the work on a railway underpass of this project is going on seamlessly, the last 300m patch of road on the Mysuru Roadside can only be done after the Challaghatta Metro depot work is completed, a BDA engineer said.

Separately, the BDA is engaging with the forest department to resolve a conflict on the diversion of 2 acres in the Sulikere reserve forest. But the authority is hopeful those final few bottlenecks can be resolved, and the highway will be ready for vehicles to use in two months.

When completed, it is expected to relieve congestion on existing MED corridor routes and provide a faster, toll-free option for travelers as it integrates with the city’s broader infrastructure developments.