With Panathur Road closed for traffic, Bengaluru’s Marathahalli main road is witnessing end-to-end traffic. | Photo credit: ALLEN EGENUSE J.
The closure of Panathur Road had a knock-on effect, extending the rush hour on HAL Airport Road by almost an hour as more than half of Panathur Road commuters shifted to this route, according to the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP).
Panathur Road will remain closed for at least another ten days. The feeders adjacent to HAL Airport Road like Kundalahalli Main Road and Vibgyor School Road will also bear the brunt of this.
Sahil Bagla, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), East, explained that HAL Airport Road runs parallel to Panathur Road and serves as the only alternative for commuters from the city towards Varthur, Whitefield and beyond.
“For example, tech professionals working in Bellandur, Kaadubeesanahalli and along the Outer Ring Road usually use Panathur Road to reach Varthur and Whitefield. Even commuters from Bengaluru Central heading towards Balagere and Bellandur Amanikere use Panathur Road. Now all this traffic has been diverted between Mar hel Bridge and Varthaurli Airport Road.”
Extended commuting time
Mahima Purohit, an employee of a start-up in Indiranagar, who commutes from Nallurahalli, said her evening commute now takes nearly 1 hour and 40 minutes, compared to about an hour earlier. “It takes more than 20 minutes to cross the Marathahalli bridge. The number of cars on the stretch has increased drastically,” she told The Hindu.
Echoing the same concerns, Srinidhi, another commuter who crosses the Marathahalli Bridge, noted that the closure of Panathur Road has also worsened traffic jams on the Outer Ring Road during peak hours.
Mr. Bagla and an officer from the HAL police station confirmed that both the morning and evening rush hours were extended by almost an hour. “Now the morning peak lasts until 12 noon and the evening peak lasts until 10 p.m.,” they said.
Why the delay?
When the work began, the civic body had promised completion by November 1, but incessant rains slowed the progress. Further delays occurred after Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) started their work along the stretch.
According to the officer, better coordination between these agencies could have prevented much of the delay.
Now the civic association has finished laying the road and started the rehabilitation work. A senior official from the East City Corporation said, “At least 14 days of treatment is required, although the traffic police is pushing for reopening in 10 days.”
“We will assess the condition of the road before deciding when to open it,” the official added.
Published – 11 Nov 2025 20:40 IST
