BENGALURU: Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is preparing a detailed project report (DPR) on the proposed expressway to connect Banashankari with NICE Road.
The 10-km stretch will ease traffic towards Kanakapura, hometown of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. The project is said to cost Rs 1,200 crore.
In a letter to chief commissioner of BBMP Tushar Girinath, Shivakumar said, “Kanakapura road is one of the major roads connecting Bengaluru city. Traffic on this road has increased, causing hardships to commuters. As Metro rail passes through this road, it is difficult to construct a grade separator. So, it is necessary to make an alternative arrangement. Pressure on Kanakapura road can be eased by constructing a flyover on the pipeline road of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), which runs parallel to this stretch. I have directed the chief engineer (BBMP Planning Centre) to take immediate action in this regard and prepare a feasibility report and a detailed project report.”
A senior BBMP engineer said tenders will be called for preparation of DPR on the proposed flyover on the direction of the DyCM. “Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) built a double-decker flyover at Ragigudda. However, traffic snarl continues as there is no end-to-end connection. To ease traffic on this stretch, the expressway has been proposed,” the engineer said.
Slamming the decision, civic activist Kathyayini Chamaraj, who has launched an online campaign against Tunnel Road and Skydeck projects involving over Rs 10,000 crore, said she hinted about the expressway sometime ago and it has become official now.
“These decisions have been taken without consulting Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA), the apex authority responsible for preparing the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for the city. The government should prioritise projects such as increasing the fleet of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation and last mile connectivity,” Kathyayini said.