Bengaluru's first double-decker flyover is finally ready

The road flyover spanning 3.3 km from Ragigudda to Central Silk Board along the Yellow Line (RV Road - Bommasandra) has been completed.

After several delays, Bengaluru's first double-decker flyover is finally ready.

Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) said road flyover spanning 3.3 km from Ragigudda to Central Silk Board (CSB) along the Yellow Line (RV Road - Bommasandra) has been completed.

Vehicular movement on the flyover (only one side from Ragigudda to CSB) will be allowed on or after June 15 after final inspection by the authorities in a few days.

Also, read: Bengaluru traffic: Karnataka deputy CM proposes road-cum-metro rail flyovers to reduce congestion

The lower deck of the flyover will be used by vehicles, while the top deck will be for Namma Metro.

BMRCL is also constructing five loops and ramps at the CSB junction (A, B, C, D & E), with the A, B,C ramps connecting KR Puram and Hosur Road from Ragigudda/BTM Layout side, while D and E ramps is connecting from KR Puram side to BTM Layout and Ragigudda side.

"All major activities have been completed at A, B, and C ramps and are expected to be completed and opened in June. D and E ramps are expected to be completed by June 2025" BMRCL Chief Public Relations Officer BL Yashwanth Chavan told Moneycontrol.

Also, read: Bengaluru Metro to conduct feasibility study for double-decker flyovers on three corridors; invites tender

While the road flyover is eight metres above the existing road, the metro viaduct is 16 metres above the surface. Road-cum-metro structures are already operational in cities such as Jaipur, Nagpur, and Mumbai.

The section between Ragigudda and CSB will become a signal-free corridor, which is expected to reduce traffic congestion during peak hours. "Vehicles from Ragigudda will be able to cross CSB without a signal and reach towards HSR Layout and Hosur Road," said Chavan.

CSB junction, intersecting the Outer Ring Road and Hosur Road, is one of the Bengaluru's busiest junctions. This junction will also have two Metro stations: Blue Line (CSB-KR Puram), which runs along the Outer Ring Road, as well as the Yellow Line (RV Road-Bommasandra). Initially, the plan was to integrate both stations (Blue and Yellow Lines), but BMRCL officials said distance between these two stations will be around 355 meters. BMRCL has proposed to connect them via a travelator for access between two lines.

Trail run on the entire Yellow Line corridor on June 13

Bengaluru Metro is likely to conduct trial run on the main line of the entire Electronics City corridor (Yellow Line: RV Road - Bommasandra) on June 13. The trial run, which was earlier scheduled for June 7, was postponed due to technical issues.

In March 2024, BMRCL commenced slow trial runs between Bommasandra and Bommanahalli and now the trial run will cover the entire Yellow Line corridor.

Also, read: Bengaluru Metro begins 1st trial run of driverless train on Electronics City line

This will be a major step towards connecting Bengaluru's tech hub, Electronics City, which houses prominent companies like Infosys and Biocon, to the metro network.

The 18.8-km Yellow Line, connecting RV Road with Bommasandra, was initially expected to be operational in 2021, but BMRCL pushed the deadline to December 2024 due to the non-availability of trains.

Also, read: MC Explains: Overcrowded Bengaluru Metro coaches: Fallout of Indo-China conflict

"The mainline testing and oscillation trials by Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) will take four months. Following this, technical sanction from the railway board and authorisation from Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) will be required before the line can be opened to the public," said Chavan.

The delay in operations was mainly due to the delayed arrival of coaches from China's CRRC and Titagarh for multiple reasons.

Also, read: Titagarh to supply the first train for Bengaluru metro’s Electronics City corridor in August 2024