CM Shivakumar Reviews Hebbal–Mekhri Elevated Road Work
Synopsis
Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar inspected the under-construction elevated road from Hebbal Junction to Mekhri Circle in Bengaluru on 9 November 2026, receiving a project briefing from BDA Commissioner P. Manivannan and other senior officials, and directed them to complete the work within the stipulated deadline.
Key Takeaways
Shivakumar personally conducted an on-site inspection of the Hebbal Junction–Mekhri Circle elevated road project on 9 November 2026 .
He directed officials to take all necessary steps to complete the construction within the stipulated deadline .
BDA President and MLA N.
Harris , Minister U.
Khadar , and BDA Commissioner P.
Manivannan were present during the inspection.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Karthik Reddy also attended, underscoring the construction's impact on north Bengaluru traffic management.
The Hebbal–Mekhri corridor is one of Bengaluru's most congested arterial stretches, connecting airport-bound traffic to the city core.
Bengaluru's most choked northern corridor got a close look from the top on Monday, 9 November 2026, when Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar conducted an on-site inspection of the elevated road project running from Hebbal Junction to Mekhri Circle — a stretch that daily tests the patience of hundreds of thousands of commuters. He received a detailed briefing from officials on the ground and issued firm instructions that the work must be completed within the stipulated deadline.
What the CM saw at Hebbal Junction
The Chief Minister's Office of Karnataka described the visit in Kannada, noting that Shivakumar ಸ್ಥಳ ಪರಿಶೀಲಿಸಿ ('conducted a site inspection') and ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳಿಂದ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಪಡೆದರು ('received information from officials') about the project's status. The directive that followed was unambiguous: take all necessary steps to finish the construction within the fixed time frame. Senior officials from the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), city traffic wing and state government accompanied the inspection.
The officials in the room — and what their presence signals
BDA President and MLA N. A. Harris, Minister U. T. Khadar, BDA Commissioner P. Manivannan, and Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Bengaluru, Karthik Reddy were all present. The presence of the traffic police chief alongside the BDA Commissioner is telling: construction-phase diversions on this corridor directly ripple through the entire north Bengaluru traffic grid, making coordination between the two agencies non-negotiable.
Why the Hebbal–Mekhri stretch matters so much
Hebbal Junction is the gateway where traffic from Kempegowda International Airport, Mysuru Road, and multiple state highways converges. Mekhri Circle, barely four kilometres south, sits at the entry to Sadashivanagar and connects to the city's central business district. Even minor delays on this corridor cascade into gridlock affecting lakhs of daily commuters, logistics vehicles, and airport-bound travellers. Bengaluru's civic agencies have been working on elevated road and grade-separator solutions along this axis since the 2010s, as the city's vehicle density has grown faster than its road network. This inspection is part of a wider pattern of senior ministerial oversight designed — at least in intention — to prevent cost and time overruns that have plagued earlier BDA projects.
The deadline pressure and what comes next
The CM's specific instruction to complete the project within the scheduled timeline puts the BDA formally on notice. Official milestones and any traffic diversion plans that follow will be the clearest indicator of whether the directive translates into measurable acceleration on site. For Bengaluru's north-corridor commuters, the clock is running.
Point of View
Making visible delays politically costly for the state government. Shivakumar's personal involvement, backed by the simultaneous presence of the BDA chief, a Cabinet minister, and the traffic police joint commissioner, suggests the administration is treating this project as a high-visibility test case for urban infrastructure accountability. The critical question going forward is whether this inspection triggers binding milestone-based monitoring or remains a one-off political signal.
NationPress
9 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Hebbal Junction to Mekhri Circle elevated road project?
It is an elevated road infrastructure project in north Bengaluru being executed by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to ease severe traffic congestion on the arterial stretch between Hebbal Junction and Mekhri Circle, a distance of roughly four kilometres.
Why did CM Shivakumar visit the Hebbal elevated road site?
CM D. K. Shivakumar conducted an on-site inspection on 9 November 2026 to review the project's progress, receive a briefing from BDA and other senior officials, and direct them to complete the construction within the stipulated deadline.
Who was present during CM Shivakumar's Hebbal road inspection?
BDA President and MLA N. A. Harris, Minister U. T. Khadar, BDA Commissioner P. Manivannan, and Bengaluru Traffic Joint Commissioner of Police Karthik Reddy were among the senior officials present.
What is the significance of the Hebbal Junction–Mekhri Circle corridor?
Hebbal Junction is the main northern entry point where traffic from Kempegowda International Airport and multiple highways merges, while Mekhri Circle connects to Bengaluru's central districts — making this one of the city's most congested and strategically critical stretches.
What has BDA been told to do after the CM's inspection?
CM Shivakumar directed BDA and other officials to take all necessary measures to ensure the elevated road construction is completed within the scheduled time frame.
