It has been six years since the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) planned an underpass at Jalahalli Cross in north Bengaluru, but the project remained stalled due to land acquisition and compensation issues. Likewise, the underpass project at Kanteerava Studio Junction has been on hold for the past nine years. However, there was fresh hope for both projects.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru development portfolio, offered a brief on the Jalahalli underpass during the ongoing winter session of the legislature, raising hopes. Meanwhile, Bangalore Development Authority has resumed work on Kanteerava Studio Junction.
Jalahalli Road Underpass
Jalahalli Cross is a junction that connects two major highways – Bengaluru-Mangaluru and Tumakuru – and is one of the most famous traffic bottlenecks in the city. The junction serves as a boarding point for several private inter-district buses as well as KSRTC buses.
Thousands of commuters from Tumakuru and other nearby districts approach this junction to commute to work in Bengaluru on a daily basis. With thousands of buses, mini trucks and heavy vehicles using this stretch daily, traffic jams at the junction are perpetual.
A traffic police officer deputed at the junction told The Hindu that at least eight policemen are deployed to control the traffic, which is still insufficient.
Adding to the problem, one half of the junction falls under Dasarahalli Assembly constituency while the other half falls under Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency.
Citizens are fighting
A medical shop owner at the junction, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Hindu that the development of the junction has also been put on hold since the project was announced. “Every time we approach the civic body with issues, they reject our pleas saying the area does not come under their jurisdiction. When we go to another ward office, they say the same thing,” he said.
According to traders, the civic officials’ biggest achievement was the asphalting of the Jalahalli road last month. However, the infrastructure at the intersection is in total disrepair. Footpaths along the stretch are broken, drains have been left open and some areas have turned into garbage dumps.
In a ray of hope, while answering a question from Muniraju, MLA for Dasarahalli, in the ongoing winter session, Mr. Shivakumar said he would soon hold a meeting with all stakeholders, including Leader of Opposition R. Ashok, to resolve the issues and start work.
“Total compensation of ₹139 crore has been awarded to the land owners. We have compensated ₹85 crore to 48 property owners while the remaining ₹53 crore is yet to be paid,” Mr Shivakumar said. He urged MLA Muniraja to speak to the remaining property owners.
However, the delay was due to the refusal of most property owners to accept transferable development rights (TDR) as compensation, forcing the civic body to opt for other payments.
Kanteerava Studio underpass
The underpass at Kanteerava Studio junction on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) has been half-finished and abandoned for years, stuck due to land acquisition issues. Finally, there seems to be some hope as the BDA recently started digging at the other end of the underpass.
Work on the flyover and underpass at the intersection began in 2016 as part of the ORR signal-free project. While the flyover was completed in 2019, work on the underpass stalled. BDA, implementing the project, has dug an underpass from the Peenya side towards Mahalakshmi Layout. Last week, digging began at the Mahalakshmi end of the layout.
However, not all obstacles have been removed. The project needs roughly 20,000 m2 of land in 43 private properties. “Out of the 43 properties, we have settled all but 12. Even out of these 12, 11 have agreed to our compensation package and the land is secured. However, one property owner is still litigating. The case is coming to an end. We hope to secure the land soon. We are working towards a mid-2026 project completion date and handover to the BDA official.”
(This is the last in a multi-part series)
Published – 19 Dec 2025 21:18 IST
