PM Modi to inaugurate two stretches of Bengaluru Satellite Town Ring Road on March 11

Bengaluru Satellite Town Ring Road, spanning 288 km (NH 948A), is expected to reduce traffic congestion in Bengaluru.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate two crucial stretches of Bengaluru Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) on March 11, which have been built with the aim to reduce traffic congestion in the tech capital.

The two sections are the Dobbaspet–Doddaballapur bypass section of NH-648 (42 km, constructed for Rs 1,438 crore) and the Doddaballapur bypass–Hoskote section of NH-648 (37.6 km, built for Rs 1,317 crore).

Bengaluru Satellite Town Ring Road, spanning 288 km (NH 948A), is expected to reduce traffic congestion in Bengaluru. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials, executing the Rs 17,000-crore project, said STRR will provide a bypass route for goods traffic, allowing commercial vehicles to avoid entering the core city areas of the city.

Also, read: First stretch of Bengaluru’s Satellite Town Ring Road likely to be ready by Dec 2023

NHAI project director KB Jayakumara told Moneycontrol: "Toll collection for the Doddaballapur bypass–Hoskote began in November 2023, and toll collection for the Dobbaspet–Doddaballapur section will commence shortly."

He said: "The rest of the areas along the STRR are expected to benefit commuters. We have received positive feedback from motorists on the quality of construction."

STRR will be an alternative route to Kempegowda International Airport for those coming from Hoskote, Kolar, Chittoor, and Hosur.  However, STRR westside sections from Hosur to Kanakapura, Ramanagara, Magadi, and Dobbaspet are still in the tendering stage.

Proposed in 2005, the STRR project gained momentum in 2017 when it became part of the Centre's Bharatmala Pariyojana. PM Modi laid the foundation stone for the STRR in June 2022, and it is being executed under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM).

Bengaluru Satellite Town Ring Road

Spanning Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, four to six lanes and an access control expressway, it will link 12 satellite towns, including Dobbaspet, Doddaballapur, Devanahalli, Sulibele, Hoskote, Sarjapur, Attibele, Anekal, Tattekere, Kanakapura, Ramanagara, Hosur, and Magadi. Access-controlled expressways have limited and designated entry and exit points to ensure rapid movement.

Currently divided into nine sections, construction is underway in four, while contracts for the remaining sections are yet to be awarded. "Five packages are still in the tendering stage," said an official. It is unlikely that the NHAI will be able to meet deadline and fulfil the ambitious goal of completing the entire project by December 2025.

NHAI officials said a 20-25 percent reduction in congestion at Hebbal due to the completion of the Dobbaspet-Devanahalli-Hoskote section. "STRR is expected to facilitate smoother transportation for trucks bound for destinations like Kolar, Nelamangala, Hassan, and beyond," said an official.

"In addition to easing city traffic, the STRR is projected to reduce travel time between Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru and locations such as Mysuru and Kodagu," he said.

The new route is designed to bypass congested city roads, providing crucial connectivity to the proposed multi-modal logistics park at Dobbaspet and the upcoming Bengaluru-Pune greenfield expressway. Further, STRR is set to enhance connectivity with Chennai Port and Krishnapatnam Port in Andhra Pradesh.

Also, read: Bengaluru's Satellite Town Ring Road to get drone landing facilities at 4 locations