The closure of Panathur Road has had a knock-on effect, extending peak hours on HAL Airport Road by nearly an hour, as more than half of the Panathur Road commuters have shifted to this route, according to the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP).
The Panathur Road will remain closed for at least the next ten days. The brunt of this will also be borne by feeder roads connecting to the HAL Airport Road, such as Kundalahalli Main Road and Vibgyor School Road.
Sahil Bagla, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), East, explained that the HAL Airport Road runs parallel to Panathur Road and serves as the only alternative for commuters travelling from the city towards Varthur, Whitefield, and beyond.
“For instance, tech professionals working in Bellandur, Kaadubeesanahalli, and along the Outer Ring Road, usually take the Panathur Road to reach Varthur and Whitefield. Even commuters from the Central Bengaluru heading towards Balagere and Bellandur Amanikere use the Panathur Road. Now, all this traffic has been diverted to the HAL Airport Road, between Marathahalli Bridge and Varthur Kodi,” he said.
Extended commute time
Mahima Purohit, an employee at a start-up in Indiranagar, who commutes from Nallurahalli, said her evening journey now takes nearly 1 hour and 40 minutes, up from about an hour earlier. “It takes more than 20 minutes just to cross the Marathahalli Bridge. The number of cars on the stretch has increased drastically,” she told The Hindu.
Srinidhi, another commuter who passes through the Marathahalli Bridge, echoed the same concern, noting that the Panathur Road closure has also worsened traffic congestion on the Outer Ring Road during peak hours.
Mr. Bagla and an officer from the HAL Police Station confirmed that both morning and evening peak hours have been extended by nearly an hour. “Now, the morning rush lasts until 12 p.m., and the evening one until 10 p.m.,” they said.
Why the delay?
When the work began, the civic body had promised completion by November 1, but incessant rains slowed the progress. Further delays occurred after the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) began their works along the stretch.
According to an officer, better coordination between these agencies could have prevented much of the delay.
Now, the civic body has completed laying the road and started curing works. A senior official from the East City Corporation said, “At least 14 days of curing are required, though traffic police are pushing to reopen in 10 days.”
“We’ll assess the condition of the road before deciding when to open it,” the official added.
Published – November 11, 2025 08:40 pm IST
