Bengaluru: The Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) has come out with a mega project to decongest the ever-busy Tumakur Road and to make Outer Ring Road (ORR) signal-free, from KR Puram to Kanteerava studio.
Vehicles on ORR have to cut through the National Highway-4 at Goraguntepalya as there is a gap in the connecting ORR. The BDA aims to address this ‘Z’ connectivity at Goraguntepalya, which is causing a lot of chaos, especially during peak hours.
The BDA intends to build an underpass connecting ORR from Dr. Rajkumar crematorium towards BEL via Jalahalli railway track and a flyover for vehicles coming from Dr. Rajkumar crematorium towards Tumakur Road across the railway track near Jalahalli. The underpass helps to straighten the road, to ensure a smooth flow of vehicles plying between ORR and Kanteerava studio. The project is estimated to cost Rs. 317 crores including land acquisition, said senior officials in BDA.
The project would bring a great relief to those using both Tumakur Road and ORR as they become signal-free at Goraguntepalya junction, said sources and that the only hurdle that the BDA is foreseeing is the land requirement, the majority of which has to come from the defence authorities. Unless the defence ministry and the prime minister intervene for the land acquisition, the project may not see the light of day, felt sources.
About 23 acres of land belonging to both defence and private owners is required. 9.16 acres is required from the Defence, 2.36 acres from ALISDA, a defence unit near Jalahalli and private and railway land of about 12.2 acres. A request to part with their land has been sought. Once the defence authorities give their nod, the BDA can go ahead with preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) and float tenders, added sources.
Drawings have been prepared for a six-lane elevated corridor from ALISDA to BEL of 1.35 kms including ramps and an underpass (665 mtrs) at Goraguntepalya junction. Service roads would also be provided for vehicles moving towards Tumakur road, explained sources.
Once the project is approved, it would take at least 30 months for the BDA to complete the project from the day the work is commissioned.
Fair exchange
In order to prevent the project from being pushed to the backburner, the city MLAs, Ministers and MPs need to take up the issue with the defence and other appropriate authorities to ensure that the BDA is given land in exchange for financial compensation or in exchange for alternative land. Defence Minister Manohar Parriker must have the project explained to him and he should be convinced about it and the advantage to citizens and to the city, felt officials.
