Bengaluru: Relief may finally be in sight for thousands of commuters battling Silk Board gridlock every day. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has announced that the first phase of Namma Metro’s long-awaited Blue Line, connecting Central Silk Board to Kempegowda International Airport, will be operational by December 2026, as per a TOI report.
The project, spread across 58 km and costing Rs 15,000 crore, is being pushed under strict deadlines, with contractors warned of future exclusion if they fail to deliver.
Bengaluru Metro: Silk Board to KR Pura by 2026, Rest of the Line by 2027
After inspecting construction works on Friday, Shivakumar confirmed that the 19-km stretch between Central Silk Board and KR Pura will be the first to open by the end of 2026.
The remaining legs will follow:
- KR Pura-Hebbal stretch: by December 2027
- Hebbal-KIA Airport stretch: by June 2027
He emphasised that contractors have been instructed to “complete work on time”, adding that those who miss deadlines “will not be considered for future projects”.
PRR Land Concerns: ‘I Will Not Denotify Land Now, Nor Succumb to Pressure’
When asked about land acquisition challenges for the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) project, Shivakumar said BDA officials have been directed to deposit compensation amounts as per the earlier approved rates.
He explained that landowners have been given multiple options, from Transferable Development Rights (TDR) to enhanced FAR, monetary compensation, and commercial land on alignment.
“Nowhere else in the country have so many options been provided,” he said. “If they do not agree to these, compensation will be deposited as per the old rate. I am not going to denotify the land, nor will I succumb to any pressure.”
Namma Metro: Full Blue Line Route and Key Stations
The 58 km Blue Line will run from Central Silk Board to Kempegowda International Airport, covering Bengaluru’s busiest tech corridors and residential clusters. The line is divided into three major stretches – Silk Board-KR Pura, KR Pura-Hebbal, and Hebbal-Airport – giving lakhs of daily commuters a long-awaited direct link to the city’s IT hubs and the airport.
Key stations along the route include:
- Central Silk Board
- Agara Road
- Iblur
- Bellandur
- Kadubeesanahalli
- Marathahalli
- ISRO
- Doddanekundi
- DRDO Sports Complex
- Mahadevapura
- KR Pura
- Nagawara / Hebbal interchange zone
- Yelahanka
- Kempegowda International Airport (KIA)
When fully operational, the line will offer a seamless metro ride from Bengaluru’s most congested junctions to the airport, significantly cutting travel time and easing traffic pressure across ORR.