Bengaluru: The Hebbal flyover ramp is now open, and the Karnataka government is planning to integrate the stretch into the Tumakuru Road loop. At present, commuters are forced to use the Esteem Mall service road while travelling from the Tumakuru Road on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) and head towards the Mehkri Circle. According to the officials, the merger to the loop could ease traffic on the main carriageway, especially for those coming from the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday announced that the work to extend the Hebbal Flyover till the point it meets with the Tumakuru Road loop will be completed by November this year. However, locals were not entirely convinced with the commitment, considering the Hebbal Flyover, which opened recently in August this year, has been doing rounds since 2015, a report by TOI said. Official believe that the new Rs 80-crore flyover ramp at the Hebbal Junction could reduce traffic congestion by around 30 per cent, especially for vehicles coming from Nagawara towards Mehkri Circle. The ramp helps motorists skip the busy signal, but traffic police warn the relief may not last long. Also Read: Bengaluru Traffic Fines: 50% Rebate on E-Challans for 2 Weeks – Check Methods, Deadline The main problem lies further ahead. Unless the city’s civic body (BBMP) widens the narrow service road near Mehkri Circle — which requires land from defence authorities — the traffic jam might just move further down the road. Over the past 10 years, authorities have proposed several plans for Hebbal Junction. Most were either scrapped or changed halfway through: In 2015, the BDA planned several ramps and an underpass with a 2-year deadline. But they dropped it to build the controversial steel flyover to Esteem Mall.When that project was cancelled in 2017, the BDA tried to revive the ramp plan. However, they ran out of money in 2019 after Metro officials raised concerns about clashes with the Orange Line. By then, Rs 25 crore had already been spent on incomplete pillars.Work only restarted in 2023 with a new design approved in 2022. They shortened the ramp’s route, cancelling the original plan to extend it to Esteem Mall and dropping a proposed loop from KR Puram. Instead, engineers linked the ramp to an old, partly-demolished loop from KR Puram. They also promised a future link to Tumakuru Road. Meanwhile, the ramp barely helps the people it was originally meant for — those coming from the Bengaluru Airport towards Mehkri Circle. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Bengaluru and around the world.