Bengaluru: Bengaluru commuters can soon expect smoother and faster travel as another key stretch of the NICE Road project nears completion. The new link connecting Deepanjali Nagar and PES College is in its final stages and is expected to be opened to traffic shortly, offering significant relief to daily road users.

Officials said most of the construction work on this route has been completed, and only finishing touches and safety checks remain before it becomes operational. Once opened, the stretch will enhance connectivity between the city’s inner areas and major highways through the NICE Road corridor.

Boost to city–highway connectivity

The corridor is part of the larger Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) Road project, a toll-based expressway network designed to decongest Bengaluru’s core areas and facilitate faster movement towards peripheral highways.

The Deepanjali Nagar–PES College link will allow motorists from central and western parts of Bengaluru to directly access NICE Road without navigating congested city roads. This will provide seamless connectivity to major arterial routes such as Hosur Road, Electronic City, Mysuru Road and Tumakuru Road.

Currently, commuters travelling from central neighbourhoods towards these highways face heavy congestion, particularly during peak hours. Bottlenecks at junctions and traffic signals often result in long travel times. The new link is expected to offer a quicker alternative, enabling vehicles to bypass dense traffic zones.

Relief for office-goers and commercial traffic

The toll-based NICE Road corridor offers relatively traffic-free travel compared to city roads. The new stretch is expected to be especially beneficial for office-goers heading towards Electronic City and Hosur Road, as well as for long-distance travellers and commercial vehicle operators who rely on Mysuru Road and Tumakuru Road corridors.

By diverting a portion of city-bound and outbound traffic to NICE Road, authorities anticipate a reduction in congestion on internal roads. This, in turn, could improve overall traffic flow within Bengaluru’s core areas.

NICE Road Chief Ashok Kheny confirmed that the opening of the Deepanjali Nagar–PES College stretch is planned soon. He stated that the project aims to improve urban mobility and ease the overall traffic burden on the city’s road network.

Urban mobility push

The addition of this link comes at a time when Bengaluru continues to grapple with rising vehicular density and strained infrastructure. With increasing residential and commercial development in peripheral areas, improved access to highway corridors has become critical.

Urban planners note that strategic link roads connecting inner-city areas to expressway networks can significantly reduce travel time and fuel consumption. They also help redistribute traffic more evenly across the network, reducing pressure on specific choke points.

While the NICE Road remains a toll corridor, many commuters prefer it for its relatively uninterrupted travel and better road conditions. The Deepanjali Nagar–PES College link is expected to further strengthen the utility of the corridor for city residents.

Expected impact

Once operational, the new stretch is likely to:

  • Reduce congestion on city arterial roads.
  • Improve access to major highways.
  • Cut travel time for daily commuters.
  • Enhance connectivity between western and southern Bengaluru.
  • Support smoother movement of goods vehicles.

With final preparations underway, authorities are optimistic that the stretch will soon be opened to the public. Its commissioning is expected to mark another step towards improving Bengaluru’s transport infrastructure and easing the daily commute for thousands of residents.