Bengaluru has restricted heavy vehicle movement on Dr Rajkumar Road as white-topping work begins between Navaranga Circle and the Rajajinagar entrance, with traffic police announcing lane closures, diversions and one-way movement on parts of the corridor.
The Greater Bengaluru Authority said the work is being taken up in phases. In the first phase, the stretch between Navaranga Circle and Rajajeshwari Kalyana Mantapa is under construction, with vehicular movement on the western side completely closed.
Two-wheelers, autorickshaws and cars can travel from the Rajajinagar entrance up to Rajajeshwari Kalyana Mantapa. Heavy vehicles, including Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation and Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses as well as lorries, have been prohibited from using the affected stretch.
Traffic police have made the eastern side of the road one-way between Navaranga Circle and the Rajajinagar entrance. Barricades have been installed to regulate movement and separate vehicles from the work area.
The remaining work will be carried out in four further phases. The second phase will cover the section from Rajajeshwari Kalyana Mantapa to the TVS Showroom. The third will extend from the TVS Showroom to Navaranga Bar Circle, followed by the fourth phase between Navaranga Circle and Old RTO Circle. The final phase will cover the stretch from Old RTO Circle to the Rajajinagar entrance, officials said.
Heavy vehicles travelling from the Rajanagar entrance towards Rajajinagar have been diverted. Outstation buses leaving Bengaluru from the western side have been directed to use West of Chord Road through Soap Factory Circle towards Sumanahalli and onward routes, according to the traffic police.
The restrictions are intended to allow white-topping work to proceed while maintaining limited access for smaller vehicles. The arrangement also separates buses and lorries from the sections where road construction is under way, though it reduces available capacity on a corridor used by local traffic and intercity bus services.
Residents said they had faced inconvenience because of the ongoing work for nearly two years. They have urged the authorities to complete the project within the stipulated timeline and restore normal traffic movement as soon as the construction phases are finished.
The next operational milestone is the completion of the first phase between Navaranga Circle and Rajajeshwari Kalyana Mantapa, after which work is scheduled to move through the remaining sections towards the Rajajinagar entrance.
