Outer Ring Road from Hebbal to Silk Board in Bengaluru: 31km of bumpy rides, snarling traffic
Bengaluru: The Outer Ring Road (ORR) stretch from Hebbal to Silk Board, spanning 31km, is a vital corridor for Bengaluru's tech and residential crowd. However, it has now turned into a nightmare: Metro construction for Blue Line has forced commuters off the main carriageways and onto broken, congested service roads, leading to massive traffic snarls, accidents, and near-daily frustrations.
At least eight stretches on the route have become unusable by motorists because of massive craters, illegal parking, riding in the opposite direction and garbage on the median footpaths. The stretch is dotted by over 500 tech companies, including MNCs and is flanked by several residential localities, including Ramamurthynagar, Horamavu, HRBR Layout, and Nagawara, that have turned into major choke points.
Chaitra Praful, a resident of Horamavu, who frequently travels along the Ramamurthynagar service road, said: "It is hard to believe this road was asphalted just months ago.
It's already a minefield of potholes and massive craters. I've seen people fall right in front of me. Add to that, the chaos at Horamavu junction signal, it is a recipe for accidents."
Pedestrians, too, face a daunting challenge. Devraj, who works in Ramamurthynagar, pointed out: "There are barely any footpaths, and even where they exist near bus stops, they're either broken or piled with garbage. When it rains, it's a mess for pedestrians."
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Streetlights rarely work, and illegal parking and construction debris narrow the roads even further.
Pratap Reddy, who commutes daily from BTM Layout to Marathahalli, described commute on ORR as a "death trap." He said: "I've fallen more than once. My back hurts constantly from jerks and bumps. Sure, there's Metro work happening, but does that mean our safety doesn't matter at all?" Leela Satya, another commuter who travels from Mahadevapura to HSR Layout said her 5km journey takes nearly 40 minutes on a good day.
"The stretch near New Horizon College is horrifying.
Heavy vehicles zoom past recklessly, and the potholes are deep enough to topple bikes. After dark, it's terrifying. I've witnessed accidents up close. The worst is Agara Junction — it's literally full of craters."
For 21-year-old sales professional Threeveni S, the ordeal becomes worse when it rains. "The stretch from Agara to HSR gets waterlogged. Traffic just becomes insane. Even cabs start rejecting rides or charge double. We don't know when the Metro work will end, but until then, why are we being made to suffer like this?"
The Tin Factory flyover is notorious for its heavy traffic during peak hours.
One of the key reasons is traffic chaos, poor road condition, with craters and worn-out stretches significantly slowing down vehicular movement. The road coming from Hebbal towards Tin Factory bus stop is particularly affected.
Officials say
A senior BBMP official blamed Metro construction and digging by BWSSB for bad roads conditions. "Since its raining, we haven't started work, but we have taken up the issue and will be repairing roads from Iblur junction to KR Pura," he said, adding after completing repair of main roads, he'll also look into the situation of service roads from Bellandur to Silk Board as well.
When contacted, BMRCL officials said: "BMRCL is responsible only for maintaining the main carriageway. The service roads are handed over to other agencies for utility work, and they often shift the blame onto us. It's BBMP that is responsible for maintaining the service roads."
As the agencies shift blame onto one another, it is citizens who are left to manage safety crisis — dodging potholes, navigating traffic chaos, and hoping they reach home in good health.
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