South India's First Double-Decker Rail-Cum-Road Flyover Launches for Trial Run

Bengaluru has taken a significant step in urban infrastructure with the partial opening of South India's first double-decker rail-cum-road flyover for a public trial run on Wednesday. The event was led by Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D. K. Shivakumar, who conducted a 'trial walk' along the newly constructed flyover, which spans from Ragigudda to Central Silk Board and is part of the Yellow Line of the Bengaluru Metro.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy and other officials attended the launch, which marks a pivotal development in addressing traffic challenges in the city. Built by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) at a cost of ₹449 crore, the flyover is currently open for vehicular movement on one side only.

Officials noted that the Central Silk Board Junction, where the flyover intersects with both the Outer Ring Road and Hosur Road, is one of the busiest junctions in Bengaluru, notorious for heavy traffic congestion. The rail-cum-road flyover is designed to alleviate this bottleneck, featuring loops and ramps to facilitate smoother traffic flow.

According to BMRCL, the completed rail-cum-road flyover extends 5.12 km and enables signal-free travel from Ragigudda to HSR Layout and Hosur Road. This development is expected to save road travelers more than 30% of their travel time when heading towards KR Pura and Hosur Road.

While the main flyover is operational, construction is ongoing for the ramps connecting HSR Layout to the road flyover towards Ragigudda and BTM Layout, expected to be commissioned by June 2025. BMRCL highlighted that this innovative infrastructure project exemplifies Bengaluru's commitment to modernizing its transport network.

ET