Bengaluru's Satellite Ring Road to ease traffic

Bengalurians were informed that they would be able to travel seamlessly to neighbouring towns in Bengaluru starting from March. The first phase of the Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) project, spanning from Dabaspet to Hoskote via Doddaballapur, was set to be opened. The 80-kilometre stretch aimed to alleviate traffic congestion in the city by reducing the number of trucks entering Bengaluru from Tumakuru Road by 40-50%. The project connected three national highways: NH 48 (Tumakuru Road), NH 44 (Ballari Road), and NH 75 (Bengaluru-Kolar Road). KB Jayakumara, the NHAI project director, mentioned to the daily that construction works were expected to be completed by the end of the month, with only 500-700 metres of work pending. He explained that at two stretches, the construction of a railway over bridge (RoB) near Doddaballapur and an underpass near Doddabelavangala was in advanced stages. The underpass project, not initially part of the plan, was added due to demand from villagers. Jayakumara assured that these works would be finished by February, and by the first week of March, traffic would be allowed on the entire 80-kilometre stretch. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had already partially inaugurated a 34-kilometer segment of the STRR in November, extending from Doddaballapur to Hoskote. A toll booth was situated at Nallur village in Bengaluru Rural district for this section. An official stated that as the road connected major highways, trucks heading to Ballari Road and Bengaluru-Kolar Road would avoid entering the city limits, thus easing traffic. While toll fees had not been officially announced, it was expected to be around Rs 160 for cars using the entire stretch. A toll plaza was set to be established near Hulikunte, located between Dobaspet and Doddaballapur. Additionally, the 4-kilometer section near Hoskote had been completed, and the integration of the STRR with the Bengaluru-Chennai expressway was accomplished.