Festival and weekend traffic created kilometre-long queues at toll plazas on the Bengaluru–Mysuru National Highway on Saturday, delaying motorists travelling towards Mysuru and leaving some passengers waiting for hours.
Heavy traffic was reported from the morning at the Kaniminike toll plaza in Bengaluru South taluk and the Sheshagirihalli toll plaza in Ramanagara taluk. Vehicles travelling towards Mysuru were seen lined up for about a kilometre before reaching the toll gates.
Both plazas have FASTag facilities and between seven and eight toll gates. However, the volume of vehicles heading towards Mysuru was high enough to slow the tolling process and create queues on the highway.
The surge was linked to the Gauri-Ganesha festival coinciding with the weekend, which increased travel between Bengaluru and Mysuru. Travellers who had left early to reach their destinations quickly were forced to wait near the toll plazas.
Avinash, a passenger travelling by car towards Mysuru, told Prajavani that congestion near the toll plazas is common when festivals coincide with weekends and during the Dasara season. He said motorists often get stuck at the toll plazas despite leaving early.
He also said travellers have limited alternatives because a continuous service road has not been constructed along the highway. In several locations, motorists must pass through adjacent towns or urban areas to avoid the toll road, making the toll route the practical option for many journeys.
The report did not specify how long the queues continued or whether highway authorities announced additional traffic-management measures. The immediate congestion was reported at the Kaniminike and Sheshagirihalli toll plazas during the festival weekend.
