Construction has begun on the 750-metre, six-lane Sadahalli underpass on Bengaluru’s Ballari Road, a project intended to remove the last traffic signal on the main carriageway connecting the city with Kempegowda International Airport. The National Highways Authority of India has set a target of completing the ₹35-crore project by mid-2027.
The underpass is being built at Sadahalli Junction, a key point on the airport road. Once completed, it will allow airport-bound traffic to pass below the junction instead of stopping at the signal. Motorists travelling from Sadahalli and nearby localities towards Bengaluru or Devanahalli are also expected to use the grade-separated facility.
NHAI has informed traffic police that construction will be carried out in phases because of the high volume of traffic on the route. Traffic police said no diversions had been imposed at the junction so far. The phased approach will allow work to proceed while keeping the existing road operational, according to the information reported by Times of India.
The project is one of several works being undertaken along the airport road to improve movement near Bengaluru’s airport corridor. The Sadahalli junction currently remains the last traffic signal on the main carriageway leading to Kempegowda International Airport, making it a point where through traffic has to stop despite the wider route functioning as a high-speed connection.
NHAI is also carrying out service-road works near the Indian Air Force station in Yelahanka. Cut-and-cover work on the service road in that area is planned after the Aero India show in February 2027. The authority has said the works are being executed in phases.
The first phase of the Yelahanka service-road project, covering the initial 240-metre stretch between IAF Gates 1 and 2, has been completed along with associated utility and compound works. Phase II, covering the stretch between Gates 2 and 3, is under construction and is targeted for completion by December 2026.
Further work on the service road on the domestic side, between Gates 5 and 6, will begin after the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation hands over encumbrance-free land. The timing links progress on that section to the availability of land without outstanding encumbrances.
For airport users, the Sadahalli underpass will be a new grade-separated link on the final signalised stretch of the main airport road. For nearby residents and motorists, the project is also intended to provide a continuous movement option towards Bengaluru and Devanahalli. NHAI’s stated completion timeline for the underpass is mid-2027, while the authority’s other airport-road works will continue in phases through the intervening period.
