BENGALURU: As part of its efforts to ensure seamless road connectivity, the Bengaluru Development Authority on Wednesday proposed to effect three major changes in the original alignment of the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR), create two clover field junctions and 17 toll plazas.
The 65.5 km line is set to increase by 2 km and the overall project cost will jack up to Rs 17,468 crore, an increase of nearly Rs 3,000 crore due to fresh land acquisition charges. BDA recently made a presentation to the Chief Minister explaining the new plan and the additional costs. The proposal will now be placed before the BDA Board for its approval.
The land to be acquired will be an additional 800 acres. As per the earlier plan, it was 1,810 acres. A senior BDA official told TNIE, “The biggest change is that the PRR Line will be integrated with the existing BMICP NICE Road at two places — one on NH4 near BIEC and another on NH7 near Konappana Agrahara.
The gaps in connectivity that existed earlier will be done away with and this will create seamless connectivity for vehicle users.” Another major change is that the Seegehalli area will be bypassed completely as nearly 1,500 apartments come in the way of the present line. “The cost of rehabilitation will be extremely high and so we have decided to shift the alignment along a parallel line.” The pipeline from Mangaluru by Petronet was passing through the previous alignment.
”The Union Petroleum Ministry wanted a buffer zone to be maintained. So we will shift the alignment here by nearly 75 metres,” he said. Junctions shaped in the form of clovers are proposed along the Airport Road and Old Madras Road so that there will be multiple entry and exit points. A total of 17 new toll plazas will come up at nine locations en route, eight of which will have exit and entry while the plaza at Hessarghatta will use the same one for entry and exit. About 159 acres will need to be acquired for these plazas alone, he added.
BDA Commissioner H R Mahadev confirmed the changes effected. “The additional Rs 3,000 crore will not have to be paid in cash as at least half of it will be given in the form of Transfer of Developmental Rights (TDRs),” he said. The eight-lane project will encircle the Outer Ring Road and connect Tumakuru Road and Hosur Road and align with the Nice Road to form a full circle now. It is aimed at providing connectivity to IT hubs and residential areas including Whitefield, Sarjapura, Kempegowda International Airport, Varthur and Hosakote. The project was first proposed in 2007 to decongest Bengaluru.