Magadi-Mysuru Road MAR to open only after full six-lane completion by March-end

BDA shelves partial opening of the key arterial corridor following Deputy CM DK Shivakumar’s directive, shifts focus to finishing all six lanes and complex railway underpass works

The much-awaited 10.75-km Major Arterial Road (MAR) connecting Magadi Road and Mysuru Road will now be opened to the public only after the entire six-lane stretch is completed, with inauguration expected by the end of March. This marks a change from the earlier plan to open three lanes in early January.

Officials from the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) said the initial proposal was to operationalise the first three lanes around January 14. This plan was linked to the completion of a critical box-pushing operation for the railway underpass near Challaghatta, considered one of the most technically challenging portions of the project.

While the box pushing required for the first three lanes has already been completed, preparations are now underway for pushing the next precast box to finish the remaining portion of the underpass. However, following clear directions from Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar, the BDA decided against a phased opening. The corridor will now be opened only after all six lanes are fully ready, citing better traffic management and smoother operations.

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As part of the next phase, the BDA has sought coordinated railway blocks from South Western Railway. Train services need to be temporarily halted to remove and later reinstall steel girders essential for the second round of box pushing. Officials said the existing steel girder is scheduled to be removed on January 8, with railway clearance already granted for reinstallation on January 22. Construction of the underpass for the remaining half of the road will begin after this process.

Built at an estimated cost of ₹500 crore, the MAR links Challaghatta on Mysuru Road with Machohalli on Magadi Road. The corridor passes through Kambipura, Bhimanakuppe, Kommaghatta, Sulikere, Kannahalli and nearby areas. Once fully operational, it is expected to cut travel time between Magadi Road and Mysuru Road to just a few minutes and offer quicker access to the Mysuru highway.

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The project is also a key foundation for the proposed Peripheral Ring Road-2, which aims to create signal-free corridors with underpasses and major interchanges across west and southwest Bengaluru.

Although the first three lanes are fully ready, and parts of the stretch are already being informally used by commuters during trial runs, authorities have decided to wait for full completion before formal inauguration.