Bengaluru: For several commuters entering and leaving Yelahanka every day, the stretch of State Highway 9 (Doddaballapur Road) has become an obstacle course. Dug-up sections, loose gravel, dust clouds, and widening potholes have turned what was once a busy arterial road into a daily test of patience for motorists, residents, and traders.
The 5km stretch from NES office to Nagenahalli Gate has become a daily ordeal for commuters, with uneven surfaces, scattered construction debris, and thick dust clouds kicked up by passing heavy vehicles. Residents say conditions have worsened over time, with little clarity on which agency is responsible for the ongoing works or when the road is likely to be restored.
Flyover Project and Pipeline Work Add to Woes
The trouble begins at Yelahanka police station junction, where a flyover project has been under construction since 2022. While road-widening work has been taken up on the carriageway towards the city, excavation for drainage and water pipelines is under way on the opposite side, compounding the disruption.
Residents say multiple points along the busy highway have been repeatedly dug up and patched, leaving behind poorly levelled roads that slow traffic and pose safety risks. Peak-hour congestion has become routine near choke points such as Puttenahalli Lake and Anantapura Gate. Officegoers returning towards Doddaballapur Road report getting stuck for at least 15 minutes in gridlock.
Residents Express Frustration
“As long-time residents, we’ve seen this road being dug up several times, but this time it is dragging on endlessly,” said Priyanka Shetty, who lives in an apartment complex along the corridor. “There is no clarity on which agency is doing the work. Some workers mention BWSSB, others say it is for gas pipelines. Meanwhile, potholes are dangerous — we’ve seen two-wheeler riders lose balance.”
Officials, however, offer conflicting accounts. A Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) official denied any major ongoing work on the road. “Apart from a repair carried out a couple of months ago due to damage caused by another agency, BWSSB is not executing work here. The pipeline work is being handled by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) for the industrial belt around Doddaballapur,” the official said.
Dust Pollution and Health Concerns
Apart from traffic snarls, dust pollution has emerged as a major concern for residents. “Dust from the road seeps into homes despite shut doors and windows. Cleaning is a daily struggle, and it has become impossible to either walk or commute on the road without masks,” Priyanka added.
Businesses Affected
The ongoing disruption has also begun to weigh heavily on businesses along the corridor, particularly eateries. Many traders report a sharp drop in footfall, citing restricted parking access and a persistently dusty, uninviting environment that has kept customers away. “In the past four months, my business has dropped by more than 50%,” claimed Manje Gowda, who runs a small eatery nearby. “Customers cannot park because the roads are dug up, and no one wants to dine in such dusty conditions. Regulars sometimes opt for takeaway, but new customers are not coming in at all.”
However, respite might be in sight as KIADB says the pipeline work is almost complete. “Only about 150 metres of pipeline work remains. We’ve already reimbursed the restoration cost to Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL) and the restoration work has even begun,” said Govinda Reddy, chief executive officer, KIADB.
School Bus Access Denied
Besides the main road, even the layouts off the road are facing similar civic issues. In Suryavamshi Layout, which has over 2,000 residents, roads are in such bad condition that school buses have stopped entering the layout. In a letter to various civic agencies, the residents have highlighted that as a result, children are forced to disembark on Doddaballapur Road and walk to their houses. They also said that many children have suffered injuries.
Citizens Speak
Sudesh Prasad | regular commuter: After improvements in Hebbal, the commute from St John’s Road to my home used to take about an hour. But the ongoing disruption near Puttenahalli has added fresh delays, with at least 15 minutes now lost on that stretch alone. Even in the mornings, a short 500–700m drive from home can take 15-20 minutes, with vehicles crawling through the bottleneck. The stop-start traffic has also begun to affect fuel efficiency.
Anusha Morching | archaeologist & resident: Travel on Doddaballapur Road has turned into a daily ordeal, with thick dust hanging in the air to the point where visibility is often compromised. Traffic crawls through the stretch, doubling regular commute times and testing commuter patience. Many residents also point to the difficult working conditions faced by traffic police, who remain stationed amid the dust and congestion throughout the day. The situation reflects a deeply strained stretch of road infrastructure affecting everyone on it.
Manpreet Kaur Arora | resident: The digging has been going on for months now and even crossing the road has become impossible. The construction dust is unbearable, and the road is turning into an accident spot. The roads are bad from near Yelahanka police station; the whole commute is a hassle.
Raghavendra Prasad | bank employee & resident: The only approach road to the layout, which serves multiple apartment complexes, has been left in a hazardous, barely motorable condition for the past two months because of a delayed sewage pipeline project. Progress on the work has been unacceptably slow, and the stretch is now marked by large potholes, open craters, and deep trenches running through the centre and across several sections, making everyday access difficult and unsafe for residents.
