You can soon fly' to Kempegowda International Airport: Junction to be widened
Bengaluru: Soon, the trumpet inter-change junction, which links the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) from the Bengaluru-Hyderabad National Highway, might be widened to accommodate increasing traffic. The inter-change, constructed in 2008, is a crucial link to the airport from the highway and it was built to ensure that there are no traffic snarls for passengers coming into and getting out of the airport. A source at the Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), which operates KIA, said, “Discussions are on to widen the lanes. Currently, there are two lanes on either side and three lanes are likely to be added on either side. The widening will be for 1.4 km, till the first circle while coming from the airport.”
He said, “But nothing has been decided for now and planning is still at a nascent stage. The designing work is in progress and this will take time. We should wait for a couple of months to see how it progresses.” Asked which company will be handed over the project, a senior official said, “BIAL will decide on who should execute the project. For now, we cannot comment on anything as there are numerous aspects related to widening that are yet to be finalised. Once a concrete plan with the required approval is ready, we can know who will carry out the project. We will also follow the guidelines of the National Highways Authority.”
The source said that the main intention behind the project is to widen the lanes because of increased traffic. It will be done keeping in mind the growth of the airport and increase in vehicular traffic for the next 20 years. “We never want passengers coming into and going out of the airport to get stuck in traffic. The passengers should have a free access while coming to the airport and going out towards the city. We are already witnessing heavy increase in the number of passengers at the KIA and we expect a massive growth in the coming years.”
The KIA has achieved 32.9 percent passenger growth in the first quarter of financial year (FY) 2018-19. It has registered 98,869 passengers on a single day. Air traffic has grown at 32.9 percent and the cargo section at 16.6 percent. Around 6.94 million domestic passengers and 1.08 million international fliers passed through KIA between April and June 2018.
