As one of the most prominent junctions in South Bengaluru, Jayadeva junction is frequented by lakhs of commuters who go towards Bannerghatta road and Silk Board. The previous intervention which was taken up to ease the congestion here bit the dust. The multi-level metro station coming up at the junction now is expected to cut down traffic problems drastically. But when and how will this become a reality, commuters wonder.
Demolition and construction
As the junction had always remained a hotspot for traffic, Jayadeva flyover, which connected R.V. Road and Central Silk Board, was constructed to ease the snarls. However, this flyover was demolished in 2020 to make way for the road-cum- metro flyover. As the metro work kept getting delayed due to the pandemic and other reasons, the traffic problems kept increasing. Now, as the construction continues to take up space on the road, the debris from it has made the situation worse, according to local residents.
Problems aplenty
With the station coming up in the middle of the road, vehicles coming from both sides towards Bilekahalli should merge at the same point beyond the station to go further. This is one of the bottlenecks in the junction. Those who drive via the junction everyday say that it is not about the number of vehicles, but it is the pace at which they move. “My house is 2.5 km from here. Yet it takes me 45 minutes to reach home from here,” said Rajesh B.U., a pharmacist opposite Jayadeva hospital.
With vehicular access cut off to some crossroads nearby, employees in several private establishments and residents need to sometimes get stuck in traffic jams or travel an extra 500–750 metres to reach their destinations.
These problems are aggravated when it rains, as it leads to severe waterlogging under the bridge. “The main problem is waterlogging. Now some work is being done to stop that. Another thing is, asphalting of the road should be done and that is taking time”, said Kala Krishnaswamy, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), traffic, east division. When asked about the long-term solutions for the junction, she said: “For now, it is all management. Once all the work happening here is completed, only then can we look at solutions.”
Fast-tracked work
Patients and caretakers who visit the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, along with staff, are also stakeholders here. C.N. Manjunath, director of the hospital, said while 30-35 ambulances arrive at the hospital everyday, at least 3,500 to 4,000 people also visit everyday.
“As we had requested the BMRCL to not start work on both sides (Bannerghatta and Silk Board) simultaneously, the work is now almost done on Silk Board side. Now the work on the Bannerghatta side should also be completed on time. The BMRCL MD also met with us and assured that work will be fast tracked especially near the hospital,” he added.
The five-level station here which will accommodate two metro lines of R.V. Road – Bommasandra and Gottigere – Nagawara, an underpass, road flyover and a grade road, is expected to be the key problem solver in the junction. However, even on this flyover, there will be no exit near Jayadeva. Those who need to reach the roads around the junction should travel on the grade level.
Final word
The streetlights were installed after the inspection but no other relief has been provided to the commuters. They say that until all the construction work is done and the metro is operational, there will not be any respite. When The Hindu visited the junction, the construction debris on the service road was being removed.
(Mission Decongestion is a series on some of the worst traffic junctions in Bengaluru that the civic authorities hope to decongest)
