Advertisement
Bengaluru's Outer Ring Road (ORR) will undergo a major mobility upgrade under the INR 400 crore B-Smile (Bengaluru Smart Mobility Integration for Last-Mile Efficiency) project. The initiative will reintroduce dedicated bus priority lanes, first launched in 2019, along with pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, cycle tracks, and service roads. Designed to improve last-mile connectivity, the project integrates buses, Metro, cycling, and walking. By encouraging public transport use over private vehicles, it aims to reduce congestion in the IT corridor. Completion is expected by the end of 2025.
Bengaluru's Outer Ring Road (ORR) will soon see the return of dedicated bus priority lanes as part of the INR 400 crore B-Smile initiative, managed by the Greater Bengaluru Authority. The project focuses on creating an integrated mobility system for the city's IT corridor, combining buses, Metro, pedestrian pathways, and cycling tracks to improve last-mile connectivity. Advertisement
The bus priority lanes were initially introduced in 2019 between Silk Board and KR Puram to reduce travel times and congestion but were removed during the pandemic and Metro construction. The B-Smile project plans to reintroduce them with improved design, technology, and public participation, alongside wider footpaths, service roads, bus bays, shelters, and refuge islands to ensure commuter safety.
The ORR currently functions as a mixed-traffic corridor with narrow or missing footpaths and no dedicated lanes for buses or cyclists. The redesigned plan will include one bus priority lane per direction, three main lanes for general traffic, bi-directional cycle tracks, and separate service roads. Officials aim to promote public and non-motorized transport, reducing reliance on private vehicles along this heavily congested corridor.
Experts have emphasized that the project's integrated approach will allow people living nearby to walk or cycle to bus stops or Metro stations, making commuting faster, safer, and more convenient. The ORR's new layout will balance all modes of transport equally while keeping bus lanes non-intrusive and efficient. The B-Smile initiative is slated for completion by the end of 2025.
5th Jun, 2025
25th May, 2023
11th May, 2023
27th Apr, 2023
Advertisement
Facebook
Whatsapp
