Drove on Karnataka's Satellite Town Ring Road: My observations

100 kmph speed limit but the highway for a good chunk is 4 laned rather than 6 lanes.

BHPian ShreyG recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

A Disappointing Experience with the STRR:

I traveled from HSR to Chikballapura yesterday. Felt adventurous and took the ORR towards KR Puram, the Bridge towards Hoskote and then the STRR towards Devanahalli.

Given the hullaballoo and continuous mentions by over beloved Minister of Road Transport & Highways, I was expecting a scientifically built, 6 lane expressway but the experience was underwhelming at the very least.

The road surface is definitely smooth, rivalling the BME, but did notice some key, fundamental issues:

100 kmph speed limit but the highway for a good chunk is 4 laned rather than 6 lanes. I am not sure as to why were even 4 lanes thought of for such an expressway. Clearly lack of space wasn't an issue. Was the surrounding land so expensive that it could be acquired? Result - Our truckers, who like to race each other at a difference of 2kmph really shone here, causing a huge snakelike formation behind them, honking away. Full on NICE road feels.

The expressway may be access controlled but that did not stop the 2 wheelers from riding down the wrong side of the entry ramp at high speed, at the risk of getting crushed under some massive lorries. Absolutely no regards to self preservation. And obviously, no police presence.

The exit points across the expressway were abrupt / immediate. One has to slow right down, take a sharp cut to enter into the service lane and exit towards the surrounding villages. Imagine below image but with just 3 barriers removed for the vehicles to get off. Even the exit to Devanahalli (Bangalore airport exit) was the same. Atrocious and dangerous. Larger vehicles had to almost come to a halt before making an exit.

Given the kind of NH expressways being made in the North (specially around NCR, and in Punjab & Haryana) or even the BME for that matter, I was shocked to see such issues plaguing the STRR. I am inclined to think whether these are deliberate attempts of sabotage or is the state government (does not matter which one) is really that difficult to deal with. Land acquisition has been a major hurdle for as long as I can remember with establishing connectivity across the city.

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