Bengalurus Widest 320 Foot Major Arterial Road To Open Tomorrow

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar will inaugurate the Major Arterial Road (MAR) – Bengaluru’s widest road at 320 feet – on Saturday.

The 10.76-km-long road runs parallel to NICE Road through Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL) and is designed to provide a direct link between Mysuru Road, a National Highway corridor, and Magadi Road, a State Highway.

The 10-lane corridor built by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is expected to cater to long-distance travellers. Of the 10 lanes, six are part of the main carriageway, and four are service roads.

The MAR is expected to ease daily commutes for thousands of residents in western Bengaluru by offering a high-capacity alternative route between two major corridors. It is also likely to become a key component of the proposed 54-km Peripheral Ring Road-1 (PRR-1), which aims to connect Hosur Road, Bannerghatta Road, Magadi Road, and Tumakuru Road.

Days before the scheduled inauguration, the road was in controversy after a video started circulating, which showed a portion of the road caving in. However, BDA clarified that the damage was on the service road and not the main carriageway. It also stated that the contractors were warned and directed to rectify the issue.

The government has announced that the road will be named after former chief minister and Union minister late S M Krishna, and no toll charges will be collected for using the road.