South India’s busiest national highway corridors, authorities have shut down the elevated flyover in Hosur after detecting a dangerous lateral shift in its structural alignment. The sudden closure has triggered a 3-km-long traffic bottleneck, severely disrupting movement between Bengaluru and Chennai.
The Hosur flyover, part of the critical Bengaluru–Chennai National Highway (NH 44), was abruptly closed to traffic on Saturday after officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) identified a horizontal displacement on the bridge’s deck. Engineering experts say such a lateral shift could indicate potential structural instability, posing serious safety risks for vehicles.NHAI’s regional chief engineer, accompanied by a technical team, carried out an on-site inspection before issuing an immediate suspension of vehicular movement on the elevated stretch. All traffic has since been diverted to the parallel service lanes, leading to a massive build-up of vehicles, particularly near the Hosur bus stand.
The flyover, inaugurated in 2010, serves as a vital commuter lifeline, with an estimated daily volume of 50,000 vehicles. It connects industrial hubs such as Salem and Hosur to Bengaluru’s core business districts, including Electronic City and Silk Board Junction—areas that host a significant portion of the city’s IT and manufacturing ecosystem.With the flyover now inaccessible, vehicles from Tamil Nadu heading to Karnataka must take alternate ground-level routes, significantly adding to travel time and congestion. Authorities are urging commuters to factor in delays or opt for diversions via Krishnagiri until further notice.
Engineers from NHAI and structural audit experts are expected to conduct a detailed assessment of the displacement on Sunday. Their findings will determine the scope and urgency of the repair plan, which is expected to involve either retrofitting or partial reconstruction depending on the severity of the damage. No timeline for reopening has yet been committed.The incident has once again raised serious concerns about the maintenance and lifecycle management of critical highway infrastructure in India. While the flyover is barely 14 years old, experts argue that inadequate stress monitoring, lack of preventive maintenance, and high vehicular loads could have contributed to the early onset of structural issues.
For now, the spotlight remains on ensuring motorist safety and restoring normal traffic flow with minimal disruption to economic activity between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. However, this event is likely to intensify the call for stricter inspection protocols and timely repair frameworks for urban expressways.
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