A file photo of the double decker metro-cum-road flyover, starting at the Ragi Gudda metro station and running until Silk Board junction.
| Photo Credit: file photo
Forty-six kilometres of twin-tube tunnel roads, 124.7 km of elevated corridors, double deckers and underpasses: these are among the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) comprehensive traffic management infrastructure plan for Bengaluru. A feasibility report on the road infrastructure projects has estimated the total cost at ₹54,964 crore.
According to the document, Altinok Consulting Engineering Inc. has conducted the feasibility study of 20 proposed road infrastructure projects, including split flyover at MEI junction, flyover at Adyar Ananda Bhavan, Raghuvanahalli, Kanakapura road, continuation of Ananda Rao circle flyover up to K.R Circle towards Nrupathunga road, elevated corridor along Tannery road from Madhava Mudaliar road to Nagawara junction, north-south, east-west tunnel road corridors and others.
The 124.7-km road widening/elevated corridors/double deckers/underpasses cost has been estimated at ₹14,964 crore and the 46-km tunnel road project cost estimation is ₹40,000 crore.
The report estimates ₹889 crore per kilometre cost for both the north-south and the east-west tunnel projects. Apart from tunnel roads, the 27-km road widening project between K.R. Puram and Yeshwantpur is estimated at ₹3,240 crore.
The 2.7-km integrated elevation project from Hudson Circle to Minerva Circle is estimated at ₹324 crore. The proposed continuation of Ananda Rao Circle flyover upto K.R. Circle is estimated at ₹204 crore. The 7.4-km proposed four-lane, two-way elevated divided structure from Anepalya junction to Silk Board junction is estimated at ₹888 crore. The proposed 3.5-km elevated corridor from Sirsi Circle to Nayandahalli is estimated at ₹420 crore.
According to the report, the north-south tunnel road (Hebbal to Silk Board), which will be taken up in the first phase, is expected to reduce travel time from 90 minutes to 20 minutes.
The report also shows alignment infringement with the proposed alignment of the Namma Metro in nine different places. The report has suggested an increase in the metro span in instances of infringement.
According to sources in the BBMP, the civic body is planning to borrow ₹19,000 loan for the twin-tunnel road project. This is in line with the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) borrowing a loan from Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) for the implementation of the 73 km-long Peripheral Ring Road (PRR).
Activists and urban planners have been opposing these road infrastructure projects saying that these are not long-term solutions to decongest traffic in the city.
Published – December 20, 2024 08:46 pm IST
