BENGALURU: With the state government recently deciding that all new Metro projects should have double-decker flyovers, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has abruptly stopped its move to issue a preliminary notification to acquire land for the Outer Ring Road Line (ORRL).
Under the Rs 15,611-crore Phase-3 project, this line will have two elevated corridors approved by the Centre on August 17.
According to an assessment by BMRCL, incorporation of double deckers along the ORR Line will cost roughly Rs 8,900 crore. “It will cost us Rs 215 crore per km, including land acquisition, up to 40.65 km of the 44.65-km Phase-3 project. Our calculation is based on the costs we incurred on the Ragigudda double-decker flyover,” an official said.
Phase-3 will have two double-decker flyovers, one from Vega City Mall to Hebbal Junction (29.2 km) and the other from Hosahalli to Kadabagere (11.45 km).
While inaugurating the double-decker flyover from Ragigudda to Central Silk Board on July 17, Deputy Chief DK Shivakumar announced that all future Metro lines would be based on this model.
With the state government giving its in-principle nod, BMRCL has begun the process of identifying land required for the line. “For speedy implementation, the 32.15-km ORR corridor from JP Nagar IV Phase to Kempapura was split into two packages -- JP Nagar to Mysuru Road, Mysuru Road to Hebbal and Hebbal to Kempapura. Land acquisition for the 12.5 km Magadi Road corridor from Hosahalli to Kadabagere has not started,” the official said.
A senior official said, “For the first package from JP Nagar to Mysuru, we need 30,326 sqm of land. We have identified 303 pieces of land and collected documents related to them. We were supposed to issue the preliminary notification to landowners under Section 28 (1) when we were asked to stop the land acquisition process.”
The acquisition plan has to be revised as more land is needed and the project cost will shoot up. “The Metro line will run above with the road below. The project will take at least two more years to complete,” he added.