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Experts remain divided on how much relief has truly been achieved, but all agree on one point: Bengaluru’s most infamous traffic junction is slowly, if unevenly, changing its story
The newly-inaugurated Yellow Line metro train of the Bangalore Metro Rail arrives at a station, in Bengaluru, Karnataka. (PTI Photo)
Once again, Bengaluru’s heavily congested roads are in focus. But the question is: has the newly launched Yellow Line of the Bengaluru Metro eased traffic congestion in the infamous Silk Board area?
The question arises—despite the opening of the Yellow Line, why is there still congestion? Experts working with this data argue that this perception is not entirely accurate. They point out that there has already been a 10 to 15 per cent reduction in vehicles on the road, which they consider a significant improvement.
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While earlier visuals of the ever-choked Silk Board Junction, showcasing its notorious gridlocks from all directions, had gone viral, experts say things are slightly different now. Images of traffic snarls at Silk Board are still being compared to the recent Gurugram gridlock that left even those in the national capital stumped, but what is the real picture?
For those trying to understand Bengaluru’s geography, Silk Board has long been a major choke point in the city’s south-eastern region, connecting Koramangala, Bannerghatta Road, and the IT hub of Electronics City. It also links several major corridors, including the Outer Ring Road and Hosur Road, and has remained a persistent bottleneck in Bengaluru’s traffic system. Despite multiple infrastructure projects, flyover proposals, and metro line extensions, relief for daily commuters has largely remained elusive, until now.
Silk Board lies along the Hosur Road corridor, a stretch that connects Bengaluru to Electronics City and Bommasandra, areas that house several national and international companies employing lakhs of people.
Most of those working in Electronics City do not reside in south Bengaluru. Instead, many live in HSR Layout, north Bengaluru, or areas even further north of Hosur Road. This commuting pattern makes the connectivity bottleneck at Silk Board inevitable. Urban planners suggest that if the Outer Ring Road (ORR) stretch is seamlessly connected, there will be a significant impact on easing congestion. The connection from Mysuru Road and other key points, they argue, could meaningfully transform the traffic situation, said urban expert R K Mishra.
“You saw the double-decker flyover. The problem lies with the government; it is politically driven. This was once prioritised over ORR. Then, unfortunately, it was shelved before being revived. All this should have been planned in advance along with the airport line. Then one could have seen a significant change,” said R K Mishra to News18.
He added that politicians have been parochial and short-sighted. “Our ability to execute projects is very poor, and that adds to the problem,” he remarked.
Urban mobility expert Srinivas Alavalli, however, believes there has been noticeable progress. He pointed out that traffic police data already shows a 10 to 15 per cent reduction on Hosur Road. “That is a huge relief,” he said.
Explaining further, he highlighted that Yellow Line ridership has reached 60,000 per day. “That means half the people are going in the morning and returning each day. How many of them were earlier taking a car or a two-wheeler? That is the secret. If a person using the metro was already travelling by BMTC, then the numbers wouldn’t have changed,” he told News18.
At the same time, Srinivas acknowledged that buses still remain competitive. “One must also understand that there are express buses to Electronics City that are faster than the metro train itself. But clearly, one observation is that ridership has increased,” he added.
Experts remain divided on how much relief has truly been achieved, but all agree on one point: Bengaluru’s most infamous traffic junction is slowly, if unevenly, changing its story.
Another urban expert who works closely with the government, but preferred to remain unnamed, echoed this view. “So, to the question, will there be a time when there will be free movement? The answer is: it already has a flyover going to Outer Ring Road, one going to Electronic City, and then the metro. The number of vehicles on the Silk Board route has already decreased,” he said.
Commuting patterns, lifestyle changes, and the metro’s convenience have begun to influence travel behaviour. For instance, a commuter travelling from north Bengaluru to Electronics City, whether for work or otherwise, now has the option of using multiple metro lines to bypass Silk Board traffic.
“For example, to travel from Hennur to Electronics City, one can take the Purple Line, interchange to the Green Line at Majestic, and then interchange again at Ragi Gudda to take the Yellow Line. It will be seamless,” explained one passenger. He shared that travelling by metro has given him more time to attend foreign client calls while on the move, instead of wasting hours driving on the roads.
Another commuter, Indravardhan Suresh from HSR Layout, acknowledged the changes but remained cautious. “The Silk Board area may have seen slight relief, but it will take time before one sees a major change. The point is that people still think driving their vehicles directly to their destination helps, as parking at metro stations has not been planned well. And then the final decision is whether one can get home without much issue if we are in our own vehicles,” he told News18.
Today, the metro provides an economical alternative. For example, travelling by cab or auto from RV Road to Electronics City costs around Rs 500 per trip, while the metro fare ranges between Rs 50 and Rs 55, which works out better economically for a regular traveller.
Suresh’s concerns were also echoed by civic evangelist V Ravi Chandar, who has been actively involved in Bengaluru’s development projects.
“The problem is that the frequency of trains on the Yellow Line is still 20 minutes between coaches. That makes people think and factor that in. So, the congestion in that stretch will come down only when there are more coaches on the Yellow Line and better frequency,” Ravi Chandar explained.
He also highlighted how the long wait can deter metro usage. “Waiting for 30 minutes will make me think that I’d rather take an app-based service, as it may work out faster now,” he said.
According to him, while traffic congestion has already reduced by 10 to 15 per cent, the delay in increasing train frequency is forcing many people to continue using their personal vehicles. “Once the frequency improves, one will see a marked change,” Ravi Chandar noted.
The impact of the much-awaited double-decker flyover has also been significant. In 2024, Silk Board Junction, long considered one of Bengaluru’s most congested areas, recorded at least a 50 per cent reduction in traffic snarls after its inauguration.
The bigger relief, experts say, lies in the reduced crossing time at Silk Board Junction, which earlier took a minimum of 25 minutes. Before the double-decker flyover was opened, congestion trends at Silk Board Junction showed an average of 24 daily congestion alerts. Within a month of its opening, the number dropped to 15. During the same period, the average length of traffic queues reduced from 19 km to 10 km.
About the Author
Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t…Read More
Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t… Read More
September 05, 2025, 12:20 IST
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