Bengaluru's 10.7 km Mysuru Road–Magadi Road MAR corridor has entered its final stage and the Bengaluru Development Authority is preparing to open the 300-foot-wide, 10-lane stretch for public use within the next 15 days. The corridor, named after former Karnataka chief minister S. M. Krishna, will link Challaghatta on Mysuru Road to Kadabagere Cross on Magadi Road and provide a signal-free route through Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout. The scheme is toll free and is designed to improve travel between south and west Bengaluru.

The BDA acquired 321.21 acres for the project and has completed several major civil works, including three large underpasses and 64 minor bridges to support drainage and internal movement. One of the largest engineering elements, a 250-metre tunnel and railway underpass near Challaghatta, has been finished and final asphalting, lane marking and painting are under way. Work had been delayed by heavy rainfall and by the need to secure railway approvals for girder installation.

The project was launched in 2018 and involved substantial cost escalation, with the original estimate of Rs 465 crore rising to about Rs 631 crore; that sum equals Rs 6.31 billion (bn) and the earlier estimate equals Rs 4.65 billion (bn). Authorities say delays, technical hurdles and additional works accounted for the increase and that extra labour was deployed to accelerate completion. 17 service road access points have been added to improve local connectivity along the route.

Once opened, the MAR corridor is expected to relieve congestion on outer stretches by enabling motorists from Hassan, Kunigal, Mandya, Ramanagara and Bidadi to bypass central Bengaluru and reach peripheral routes more quickly. The corridor runs close to NICE Road and should enhance access to multiple layouts and outer ring transport links. Officials anticipate a reduction in travel time and fuel consumption for many daily commuters.