Bengaluru: Some years ago former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee inaugurated the cable bridge on the junction of Old Madras Road and Outer Ring Road near KR Puram, on the premise that it would be a boon to motorists. However, in time with the development of Whitefield into  a mini IT hub,  it has become a headache for motorists travelling towards the tech corridor .
Railway minister D V Sadananda Gowda, has now come to the motorists’ rescue. Gowda visited the KR Puram railway station on Sunday morning, inspected the traffic bottleneck and ordered the officials of both railways and the BBMP to conduct a joint inspection on Monday to find a concrete solution.

He suggested that the railway officials extend the foot overbridge from the railway station to the other side of the road (traffic heading towards the city). Gowda said, “If the bridge is extended to the other side of the road, then the passengers who are moving towards the city can get down directly at that end to board autos or buses. This will ease the traffic congestion near the railway station. Further, this will not put more pressure on vehicular movement. But railway and BBMP officials will inspect the spot to give it final shape.”

Later, Gowda inspected the railway underpass which is now used mostly by two-wheelers and ordered officials to see that water doesn’t stagnate there. He said, “first the railways will undertake the work at the underpass and complete it in the next two months. Later, around 28 railway quarters will be demolished to ensure better vehicular movement. The BBMP or BDA should provide alternative land for railways. The officials will sit together and chalk out the final plan”, he said.

KR Puram MLA Byrathi Basavaraj said that vehicles heading towards ITPL are stranded for hours together near the railway station as there is no proper plan to divert the traffic. “We had given a representation to former railway minister Mallikarjun Kharge and now to Sadananda Gowda to find the solution,” he said.