Bengaluru: STRR Partially Stalled Due to 54-Metre Gap, Traffic Chaos Continues

A 21-km stretch of Bengaluru’s Satellite Town Ring Road remains stalled due to a 54-metre railway girder gap. Heavy trucks continue to enter the city, worsening traffic congestion. NHAI and SWR blame each other, while commuters face ongoing delays.

A nearly 21-kilometre stretch of Bengaluru’s Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) remains unused, all because of a small 54-metre gap. This section, running from Hoskote to the Tamil Nadu border, is part of the larger 280.8 km STRR (NH-948A) project, which was first proposed in 2005 and had its foundation stone laid by Prime Minister Modi in 2022. While most of the road is complete, this tiny railway overbridge (ROB) section has delayed the opening of the entire 20.9 km stretch, causing a major traffic bottleneck and inconvenience for commuters.

The contract for this section was awarded to a joint venture of S & P Infrastructure Developers and Skylark Infra Engineering in 2022. Despite the main stretch being ready, the installation of the bowstring girder over the Bengaluru-Chennai railway line remains incomplete, creating a dispute between the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the South Western Railway (SWR).

Traffic Nightmare Continues

The incomplete bypass forces heavy trucks, which were intended to use the STRR, to travel through Bengaluru city. This has worsened traffic congestion on major roads, including Hosur Road and Tumakuru Road.

An NHAI official stated, “We have finished work on 20.25 km of this section. Only the railway span work is pending.” 

The delay has frustrated commuters and logistics operators who were expecting relief from city traffic.

Approval Dispute Between NHAI and Railways

NHAI has claimed that the delay is entirely due to the Railways. Officials said that the revised design for the bridge (GAD) was approved on 5 April 2024, and the plan for installing the girder (TAD) was submitted on 2 April 2024. However, they received only an in-principle approval from SWR on 29 January 2024. Even after receiving final approvals, NHAI will need a separate block period from the Railways to halt train traffic for the girder installation, which could cause further delays.

Railways Responds

The South Western Railway has denied NHAI’s claims. SWR Chief Public Relations Officer, Manjunath Kanamadi, said, “The site for the bridge work is not ready yet. The TAD has not been approved because it was submitted to the Bengaluru division for a technical check only recently. The girder assembly work is still incomplete, and the RDSO inspection is pending.”

This conflicting narrative has left the project in limbo, frustrating both commuters and authorities.

STRR-West Work Also in Limbo

The western section of the STRR is also facing uncertainty. Several projects under the Bharatmala Pariyojana have reportedly been put on hold due to rising costs and delays. Tenders worth Rs 4,750 crore, issued in September 2023, were cancelled in January 2024. Although new tenders have been invited, the bids have yet to be opened, further delaying the project.

Purpose of the Satellite Town Ring Road

The 280 km STRR is designed to connect 12 of Bengaluru’s satellite towns, including Doddaballapur, Devanahalli, Hoskote, Anekal, Kanakapura, Ramanagara, and Magadi. Its primary purpose is to provide a bypass for freight and long-distance vehicles, preventing them from entering the city and reducing urban traffic congestion.

Once completed, the STRR is expected to improve connectivity, reduce travel time, and enhance logistics efficiency for both commercial and passenger traffic in Bengaluru.