Bengaluru, April 30: A newly constructed 3.5-kilometre stretch of the double-decker flyover between Silk Board and Ragigudda Metro Station has been closed to motorists shortly after a trial run, marking a fresh development in one of the city’s most crucial traffic infrastructure projects. The decision was announced by the Bengaluru Traffic Police on Wednesday, even as the corridor continues to remain under observation for operational adjustments.
Officials clarified that the stretch had been opened only on a trial basis, and its final operational status will be decided by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) in coordination with traffic authorities. The closure, they said, is part of the process to assess traffic movement, safety standards, and signal coordination along the newly built elevated corridor.
The flyover segment forms a key part of Bengaluru’s first double-decker rail-cum-road infrastructure project, designed to decongest the heavily burdened Silk Board junction—one of the city’s most notorious traffic choke points. The structure is intended to provide a signal-free elevated route between HSR Layout, Silk Board, and Ragigudda, significantly reducing travel time during peak hours once fully operational.
The corridor had recently been opened for controlled movement as part of phased testing, allowing authorities to study traffic flow patterns, merging behaviour at ramps, and load distribution during peak hours. However, following initial trials, officials decided to temporarily restrict access on the newly completed stretch to ensure further technical evaluation before a full-scale opening.
According to transport officials, the flyover is a critical component of the larger Namma Metro infrastructure expansion project, which integrates elevated road connectivity with metro construction in one of Bengaluru’s busiest urban corridors. The project is expected to ultimately ease congestion across key localities including BTM Layout, Jayanagar, JP Nagar, and the Outer Ring Road stretch leading toward Electronics City.
The Silk Board junction, long considered a major bottleneck in Bengaluru’s transport network, handles lakhs of vehicles daily, and has been a persistent challenge for urban planners due to its convergence of arterial roads and metro construction activity. The double-decker design aims to separate traffic streams vertically, allowing smoother movement and reducing dependency on signal-controlled intersections.
Traffic experts say the trial phase is crucial, as the corridor involves complex merging points, ramp integrations, and multi-directional vehicle flow, which require fine-tuning before public use can be fully regularised. Authorities are expected to monitor the stretch closely over the coming weeks before deciding on reopening timelines.
While commuters had briefly welcomed the partial opening as a relief from long-standing congestion, the sudden closure has once again highlighted the ongoing transitional phase of Bengaluru’s mega infrastructure upgrades. Officials, however, maintain that such temporary restrictions are necessary to ensure long-term safety, efficiency, and smoother traffic movement once the project is fully stabilised.
Once completely operational, the Silk Board double-decker flyover is expected to become a major mobility corridor for Bengaluru, offering faster connectivity and significantly reducing travel time across some of the city’s most congested routes.
