The Ballari Road stretch from Devanahalli to Andhra Pradesh border of National Highway-44 will be widened into a 10-lane road. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has proposed to widen the highway with a six-lane main carriageway and two-lane service roads on either side.

The widened road will be linked to the Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) that connects to the proposed Bengaluru-Chennai expressway.

NHAI project director KB Jayakumara told STOI widening of the road is necessary, considering the increased traffic flow on the highway and the need to eliminate blackspots. ?The NHAI has taken up upgradation of the road from Devanahalli to Kurnool. The total length of the stretch is 340km, 72km of which falls in the limits of Karnataka.?

The land required for widening the road is already available with NHAI. Beyond Devanahalli, the existing highway has a four-lane main carriageway, while there are service roads on some stretches. The official added that over the years, movement of vehicles, including trucks, has increased on the corridors connecting to Bengaluru. The highway is also used by people from districts bordering Andhra Pradesh to access Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) because of its proximity. NHAI has partially opened the first 34-km stretch of STRR from Dabaspet to Hoskote. This stretch is linked to NH-44. ?Once the remaining stretch from Dabaspet to Doddaballapur opens for traffic movement, trucks coming from Tumakuru Road will get direct access to NH-44. This will reduce congestion on the roads leading to Bengaluru ,? said Jayakumar.