The Sankey Road issue

Cause of the problemand

Solutions

Traffic through Sadashivanagar - earlier

Before CNR Rao (IISc main gate) circle blockage : Traffic from Malleswaram going to Bellary Road – red arrows. Traffic from BEL Road going to MG Rd. - yellow arrows.

Traffic through Sadashivanagar - now

After CNR Rao circle blockage all these go through Bashyam circle:Traffic from Malleswaram to Bellary Road.Traffic from BEL Road to MG Rd.Traffic from Yeshwantpur to MG Rd.

Comparison

Earlier Now

Traffic is now flowing through a residential area with narrow roads not built to take the volume of traffic. Hence the congestion at Bashyam circle.

Traffic pattern at Bashyam circle

Before CNR Rao circle blockage : Major portion of traffic moved in the direction of the thick lines in the picture, which is 4-lane.

After CNR Rao circle blockage : Major portion of traffic moves through Sadashivanagar, which is 2 lane. Traffic takes longer to clear at Bashyam circle because of this.

Earlier Now

The proposed solution

4-lane from Cauvery theatre to Bashyam circle.6-lane from Bashyam circle to CNR Rao circle.

Why it's illogical - 1

Bellary Rd. is and will remain 4-lane between Windsor Manor and BDA, and is able to handle the traffic. A road is only as wide as its width at the narrowest point.

Sankey road is a feeder road to Bellary Road. What's the logic of making a tributary wider than the main river ?

Bellary Rd. - main river

Sankey Rd. - tributary

Bellary Rd. at BDA – 4 lane

Why it's illogical - 2

Bashyam circle will have 3-lane traffic merging into 2-lane traffic, causing massive jams.

The alternatives

1. Wait it out - the problem is temporary.

The problem is temporary. Wait for the CNR Rao Circle underpass to be completed.

Traffic flow pattern will change. Flow through Sadashivanagar will stop. Then study the pattern and see what needs to be done.

2. Manage traffic better - signals.

Example : Signal timings for all 4 roads at Bashyam Circle are almost equal.

Most of the traffic is to/from the Sadashivanagar side, so rationalize timings so that this side gets priority.

3. Manage traffic better – dynamic lanes.

Change lane widths in morning and evening. Morning traffic is towards CBD, evening is away from CBD.

4. Cantilevered footpath to add extra lane.

Additional lane can be added by making the footpath cantilevered, over the Sankey Tank walkway.

In sum

1. The congestion at Bashyam circle is temporary, caused by closure of CNR Rao circle.

2. Traffic can be managed better to improve the temporary congestion now.

3. 6-laning of Sankey Rd. is unnecessary and illogical, will cause huge congestion.

4. There are engineering alternatives to increase road width at Sankey Tank.

The Mantra “Use existing road space to the maximum efficiency before thinking of increasing it” is not being followed.