Traffic movement on State Highway 35 around Varthur, Gunjur and nearby areas has improved after renewed efforts to reduce roadwork delays, but the gains will be tested when schools reopen after the Dussehra holidays in Bengaluru.
Nooraine Fazal, founding managing trustee and CEO of Inventure Academy, said 58 of the school’s 62 buses reached the campus before 7.30 am on Wednesday, October 14. That was an improvement from 38 buses reaching before the same time on October 9. No bus had arrived more than 15 minutes late since Monday, while the average arrival was recorded at 6.9 minutes early.
The school’s evening operations also showed improvement. Fazal said 60 of 61 routes completed their journeys on schedule. Average journey time fell to 55 minutes from 74 minutes on September 23, while average speed increased to 19 kmph from 14.2 kmph.
“Things have started getting better. However, many schools are on Dussehra holidays this week, which may be easing traffic. We will have to see whether the improvement continues after schools reopen,” Fazal said.
The improvement remains uneven across the wider corridor. Congestion continued near Marathahalli Bridge, Panathur Road, Kadubisanahalli and Hosur Road. Route R53 towards Attibele was delayed by 30 minutes on Wednesday and took two hours and 30 minutes, compared with approximately 80 minutes the previous week. Fazal said the school team was investigating the recurring delays.
“The jams are costing time, but only R53 was pushed beyond its scheduled arrival. We should look at this as progress, not proof, until schools reopen,” she said.
Traffic police have stationed personnel at Dommasandra crossing, while preparatory repair work has begun on the Dommasandra–TC Halli stretch. Levelling work has also started near Oakridge, according to the report. Heavy vehicles face traffic restrictions in some areas, although drivers do not always comply with them, adding to congestion for other road users.
The traffic problems are linked to prolonged work and delays on the Varthur–Gunjur elevated corridor, which forms part of the proposed East Airport Corridor. The project has faced land acquisition, compensation and contractor-related delays. The disruption became particularly acute when traffic jams stranded schoolchildren and school buses along the corridor.
Following those disruptions, MLA Manjula Aravind Limbavali and Mahadevapura Task Force chairman Aravind Limbavali mobilised three contractors to resume work. The task force said it was coordinating with civic agencies to shift utilities and improve SH-35. The MLA has also requested that the Karnataka Road Development Corporation blacklist the existing contractor.
The immediate measure of success will be the corridor’s performance once regular school traffic returns. Until then, the recent reduction in journey times and late arrivals indicates improvement, while the continuing delays at key junctions and on the Attibele route show that conditions remain inconsistent. Further work is expected on the Dommasandra–TC Halli stretch, near Oakridge and across the Varthur–Gunjur corridor.
