Connecting the Bangalore International Airport at Devanahalli

Why of all the places in Bangalore, connectivity to the new Bangalore International Airport so important? Is there no road to BIAL or is the airport built in some fairyland to which only the angels have access to!?

Of course not. The airport is at Devanahalli, at a distance of about 35km from the city. There is a good National highway (NH-7) connecting to this place. Along the way are many malls, luxury apartments, international hospitals, and IT parks.

Reaching this highway from the central parts of the city, and ‘more importantly’ IT corridors (Electronic city et al) is a pain, time wise. Our government, as of now our governor, and all the smart people ‘leading India‘ are only concerned about providing good connectivity to the Airport. I don’t understand why! The connectivity to Airport is not more important than decongesting traffic in central parts, at least when the traffic is as shown in the image below almost everyday.

How often does an average person with an average job in Bangalore use the Airport? Not more than twice or thrice a year. Even the Narayan Murthys and Azim Premjis would not be flying more than once a fortnight, except may be our beloved cricketers who take short haul flights for their IPL matches more than twice a week. :)

Now consider, how often does an average person travel within the city? More than once a day. What Bangalore lacks is good roads within the city where people commute everyday to work, and not to some outskirt which is used for flying to some other part of the world, once or twice a year.

How much delay would be caused to reach the airport with a not so great expressway and a metro link? Half an hour or one hour on an average. The flights would, on an average, be delayed up to an hour not just during the foggy days of winter.

Building the connectivity to the international airport is causing terrible inconvenience to commuters within the central parts of the city. In making the route from MG road to the Bangalore International Airport signal free, the north-central parts of Bangalore has become a mess with traffic diversion causing total chaos with riders going on footpaths in certain residential areas. The BDA junction magic box under pass has made the life hell for millions of commuters on these roads. Adding to the problems of the commuters is the road widening at Race course road, and along the golf course.

These are the projects which had to be taken one at a time over a few months, are taken up all at once trying to finish everything in a month or two. Delay in opening of the new Airport adds the time limit. The incapable, only money-minded coalition government with betrayal by Gowda and sons gave no interest in answering the traffic issues either in the city or to connect to the International Airport, construction of which started a good two years ago. Hope a clear majority in the current elections will form a stable and sensible government.