Six years have passed since the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) planned an underpass at Jalahalli Cross in north Bengaluru, but the project has remained stalled due to land acquisition and compensation issues. Similarly, the underpass project at Kanteerava Studio Junction had been stalled for the past nine years. However, fresh hope has emerged for both projects.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio, offered a brief update on the Jalahalli underpass during the ongoing Winter Session of the Legislative Assembly, raising hopes. Meanwhile, the Bangalore Development Authority has resumed work at the Kanteerava Studio Junction.

Jalahalli Road underpass

Jalahalli Cross is an intersection that connects two major highways—Bengaluru-Mangaluru and Tumakuru—and is one of the city’s most notorious traffic bottlenecks. The junction serves as a boarding point for several private inter-district buses as well as KSRTC buses.

Thousands of commuters from Tumakuru and other nearby districts access this junction for their daily commute to work in Bengaluru. With thousands of buses, mini trucks, and heavy vehicles using this stretch daily, traffic congestion at the junction is perpetual.

A traffic police officer deputed at the junction told The Hindu that at least eight officers are deployed to manage traffic, which is still insufficient.

Adding to the problem, one half of the junction falls under the Dasarahalli Assembly constituency, while the other half comes under the Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency.

Citizens struggle

The owner of a medical store at the junction, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Hindu that even the development of the junction has been stalled ever since the project was announced. “Every time we approach the civic body with problems, they dismiss our pleas, saying the area does not fall under their jurisdiction. If we go to another ward office, they say the same thing,” he said.

According to shopkeepers, the biggest achievement of civic officials has been the asphalting of Jalahalli Road last month. However, the infrastructure at the junction is in total shambles. Footpaths along the stretch are broken, drains have been left open, and some areas have turned into waste dumping yards.

In a ray of hope, while responding to a question by Muniraju, MLA for Dasarahalli, in the ongoing Winter Session, Mr. Shivakumar said he would soon hold a meeting with all stakeholders, including Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok, to resolve the issues and commence work.

“A total compensation of ₹139 crore has been allocated for landowners. We have compensated 48 property owners with ₹85 crore, while the remaining ₹53 crore still needs to be paid,” Mr. Shivakumar said. He urged MLA Muniraju to speak to the remaining property owners.

The delay, however, was due to most property owners refusing to accept Transferable Development Rights (TDR) as compensation, forcing the civic body to opt for other payments.

Kanteerava Studio underpass

The underpass at Kanteerava Studio junction on Outer Ring Road (ORR) was half done and abandoned for years now, stuck due to land acquisition issues. Finally, there seems to be some hope as the BDA has recently begun digging work at the other end of the underpass.

Work began on the flyover and underpass at the junction in 2016, as part of a project to make the ORR signal-free. While the flyover was completed in 2019, work on the underpass got stuck. BDA, executing the project, dug the underpass from the Peenya side towards Mahalakshmi Layout. Last week digging began at the Mahalakshmi Layout end.

However, not all hurdles have been cleared yet. The project needs around 20,000 sq. m of land in 43 private properties. “Of the 43 properties, we have settled with all but 12. Even among these 12, 11 have agreed to our compensation package, and lands are being secured. But one property owner is still litigating in the court. The case is drawing to a close. We hope to secure the land soon. We are working towards a mid-2026 deadline to complete the project and hand it over to the corporation,” said a senior BDA official.

(This is the last of a multi-part series)

Published – December 19, 2025 09:18 pm IST