BENGALURU: Work on the Metro line that will connect the airport to the city has finally started. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Friday invited tenders for a major chunk of the Central Silk Board Junction to Kempegowda International Airport line, via KR Puram.
The 55-km line has a deadline of 2023. Tenders have been invited in the form of two packages for the 19.5km stretch on Outer Ring Road line from Silk Board to KR Puram (Phase 2A), involving 13 stations, said an official. Tenders for infrastructure between KR Puram and the airport (Phase 2B) will be called for in February in the form of three packages.
Works under the first two packages are estimated to cost Rs 1325.43 crore. The first package, running to Rs 731.18 crore, consists of elevated structures, viaducts (on which railway lines are laid) and six Metro stations. The stations are Central Silk Board, HSR Layout, Agara, Iblur, Bellandur and Kadubeesanahalli, states the tender document.
This package involves road widening, utility diversion and allied works of Phase-2A, construction of loops, ramps for the road flyover at Central Silk Board Junction, running a length of 2.84km as well as road widening and allied works of Reach-5 (RV Road to Bommasandra). The second package, costing Rs 594.25 crore, involves elevated structures of the seven stations of Kadubeesanahalli, Marathahalli, ISRO, Doddanekundi, DRDO Sports Complex, Saraswathi Nagar and KR Puram.
“The 1.097-km link to Baiyappanahalli depot, pocket track, road widening, utility diversion and allied works of Phase-2A are part of it,” states the tender document. Asked about the status of land acquisition along the ORR Line, for which tenders have been called, a senior official said that 90% of land was in possession of BMRCL at present.
“Utility shifting contracts have been awarded, the Asian Development Bank has given the green signal for financing and we are following up with consent from Government of India,” he said. The only bottleneck to be sorted out yet is the shifting of the GAIL gas pipeline at Kadubeesanahalli, the official added. The tenders would be opened on February 6, 2020.