BENGALURU: South Bengalureans will have to brace themselves for road closures, road digging and traffic diversions as 11 major roads will be taken up for white topping soon. Major roads in BTM Layout, Jayanagar and Padmanabhanagar assembly constituencies will be selected for white topping. Along with white topping, footpaths would also be taken up for comprehensive development at a total cost of Rs 94.62 crore.
The works are expected to be completed in 11 months, after the contracts are awarded. GBA Special Purpose Vehicle Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited (B-Smile) has invited tenders for the white-topping and footpath development in these constituencies.
The tender process is under way, and bids were opened on December 24 last year. The last date to submit bids was January 2, and the technical bids were opened on January 3. Those who qualify the technical bids will be allowed to participate in the financial bid. The 'major roads' that would be taken up for white topping are not announced. B-Smile sources said one of the major challenges in white-topping main roads is they have to get prior permission from the traffic department. "When major roads are taken up for overhaul, getting traffic clearances is an uphill task.
First, the traffic department takes into consideration the traffic on the road and has to plan for alternative roads to divert traffic into other nearby roads. Once we get their nod, other challenges would be to shift the utilities -- Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board's water and sanitary lines, Bescom and others," source said.
Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, who is also Bengaluru Development Minister, said to provide long-lasting, pothole-free roads, over 500km of roads in the city would be white-topped at an estimated cost of Rs 1,700 crore, in a span of three years.