Bengaluru: Motorists using the busy Murugeshpalya junction on Old Airport Road are likely to face severe traffic congestion over the next six months as work on the long-pending Wind Tunnel Road underpass has finally commenced. The project, aimed at easing one of east Bengaluru’s most notorious bottlenecks, is expected to eventually make the stretch signal-free and improve movement towards HAL, Marathahalli and the city centre.The Rs 19-crore underpass project kicked off this week after almost a decade’s delay, with one side of the carriageway already blocked for construction. Traffic police said congestion has already increased during peak hours and warned the situation could worsen once schools reopen and monsoon rains intensify.VVIP Movement Adds to CongestionTraffic police said the stretch remains highly sensitive due to frequent VVIP movement linked to the nearby HAL Old Airport. “On Thursday, we had the chief minister landing at the old airport, and traffic had to be completely stopped for nearly 15 minutes. Right now, it is still manageable, but with one side of the road being used for two-way traffic, congestion is expected to become much worse,” a traffic police officer said.Police also pointed out that rain and the reopening of schools could increase traffic pressure on the stretch. “The only solution is for the work to be completed as quickly as possible,” the officer added.Deadline of 180 DaysEngineers associated with the project said the official completion timeline remains about 180 days, including the monsoon period. They expect the underpass to be ready for public use by Nov if work progresses as planned.During a recent inspection, GBA chief commissioner Maheshwar Rao reportedly directed contractors to adopt faster construction methods and explore the use of advanced technology to reduce delays. He also urged officials to complete the project within three months, if possible.According to project engineers, the construction will be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, the box structure towards the Manipal Hospital side will be installed while traffic continues on the opposite carriageway. In the second phase, work on the HAL-bound side will begin.The underpass is planned as a six-lane structure with a width of 7.5 metres, along with two service road lanes on either side. Entry and exit ramps on both ends will measure about 170 metres each, while the underpass boxes themselves will be nearly 50 metres long.Engineers said most of the prefabricated box structures are already ready, and a retaining wall on the ISRO side has been completed. However, the major challenge currently lies in constructing the retaining wall on the opposite side and shifting underground utilities. “The major work now is the earthwork and utility shifting. Once that is completed, the remaining process is relatively easy because the underpass boxes are already ready and only need to be placed,” an engineer said.
