The once-smooth drive to Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has transformed into a major urban bottleneck, with the Sadahalli toll plaza on the Bengaluru-Hyderabad highway bearing the brunt of the explosive growth. Daily traffic at this critical point has skyrocketed by a staggering 52% over the last decade, pushing daily vehicle counts beyond the one lakh mark and cementing its status as one of the state's busiest toll gates.
The Numbers Tell a Story of Unrelenting Growth
Data from the Sadahalli toll plaza paints a clear picture of the mounting pressure. From handling approximately 67,000 vehicles per day in 2015, the numbers have climbed relentlessly: 75,000 in 2020, 88,070 in 2023, and 98,000 just six months ago. The plaza now consistently processes over 1 lakh vehicles every single day, surpassing other congested points like Electronics City, which sees between 75,000 to 80,000 vehicles. A significant portion of this traffic is bound for the airport.
Urban Sprawl and Lack of Mass Transit Fuel the Crisis
Officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) point to a confluence of factors driving this surge. The rapid development of residential townships, IT parks, and industries along Ballari Road has turned the airport corridor into a bustling urban spine. Furthermore, the opening of the Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) has funnelled additional traffic from Hoskote and Dabaspet towards Devanahalli.
Compounding the issue is the continued absence of a dedicated mass-transit link to KIA, even 17 years after the airport's inauguration. With the airport handling 40.7 million passengers and 723 daily flight movements last year, the reliance on cabs and private cars remains overwhelming. Soaring car registrations in Bengaluru and new IT campuses mushrooming near the airport have turned the toll gate into a persistent choke point, despite the implementation of FASTag.
Planned Upgrades Aim to Ease the Peak-Hour Chaos
While the Sadahalli plaza reportedly collects over ₹1 crore in fees daily and has shorter wait times compared to Nelamangala or Hoskote, officials acknowledge an urgent need for infrastructure upgrades. NHAI has awarded works for an underpass at the Sadahalli junction to eliminate the traffic signal, with construction set to begin soon. Following its completion, the old plaza buildings will be demolished to make way for 4-5 additional toll booths on a second level, a move expected to alleviate peak-hour congestion.
Additional improvements are planned along the corridor. Defence authorities have approved a new service road near the Yelahanka Air Force Station, to be built using the cut-and-cover method, with work likely to commence by February or March. Furthermore, recognising the rapid urbanisation on either side of the road, streetlights will be installed along an 8km stretch beyond the Nandi Upachar Hotel junction.
The relentless growth of the KIA corridor underscores the pressing challenges of urban planning and infrastructure development in India's tech capital, where road expansion struggles to keep pace with the breakneck speed of urbanisation and economic activity.
