Varthur Road (SH-35) Widening: 2026 Update

The much-awaited four-lane widening of Varthur-Gunjur Road, part of State Highway 35 (SH-35), continues to test the patience of East Bangalore commuters. Authorities had once targeted a 2026 finish, but officials have now confirmed that the full 4-lane widening is now pushed to 2027, with the delay mainly attributed to 19 specific properties still stuck in legal battles over acquisition. The Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) has confirmed that the widening and elevated corridor project along State Highway-35 will not be completed before 2027, and of the 198 properties notified for acquisition, several have been cleared and compensated, but acquisition for 19 properties continues to remain stuck.

What began as a straightforward road-widening exercise has grown considerably in scope. The project has expanded into a larger redevelopment plan involving a short flyover near Varthur Kodi, and future provisions for a double-decker structure and metro alignment, with the plan including expanding the existing 30-metre road to 100 metres and constructing a 1.92-km, 60-ft elevated stretch from Varthur Lake Kodi to Vinayaka Theatre. Despite the expanded ambition, on-ground progress remains slow — only scattered drain construction and demolition work is currently visible along the stretch, and with no alternate route available to reach Outer Ring Road from the Varthur-Gunjur side, commuters continue to battle narrow lanes, uneven surfaces and deep potholes.

To offer immediate relief, the Karnataka State Highway Improvement Project (K-SHIP) division is preparing to take up pothole-filling work across 70 km, including stretches that fall under SH-35, with tenders worth ₹2.6 crore soon to be floated for the task. In a departure from routine resurfacing contracts, the government has specifically assigned K-SHIP the responsibility of identifying potholes, repairing them and maintaining the corrected patches for one year — a stop-gap measure while the larger widening plays out.

Interestingly, infrastructure momentum on the metro front is outpacing the road project. Locals have started seeing soil testing (geotechnical surveys) happening along Sarjapur Road since January 2026 for the Sarjapur-Hebbal Metro Red Line, after the state cabinet approved the final plan in December 2024. This is the first real sign that construction is coming, which is keeping property demand high even with the current road issues.

Despite the delay, the wider Varthur-Sarjapur corridor has continued to command strong buyer interest. Market data shows this micro-market registered the highest Year-on-Year appreciation among all East Bangalore micro-markets, with mid-segment apartment prices rising 14–18% in the 12 months leading into 2026. Analysts note that properties in areas where infrastructure is 'under construction' typically appreciate 20–30% between project announcement and project completion, suggesting the ongoing SH-35 works — despite the delay — remain a medium-term value driver rather than a deterrent. Varthur itself trades at relatively accessible entry points, with the area described as an emerging sub-market with lower prices (₹8,000–₹9,000/sqft) and road connectivity improving with widening works, compared to more mature pockets of Whitefield.

For homebuyers, the practical takeaway is twofold: expect continued construction-related inconvenience — dust, lane closures, and detours — through 2027, but recognise that the corridor's underlying fundamentals (IT employment density, metro progress, and multiple simultaneous infrastructure upgrades) remain intact. Projects positioned directly on or near SH-35, such as Prestige's Varthur Road developments opposite Varthur Lake, are timed to benefit once the elevated corridor and metro alignment materialise over the next few years.