PWD plans major road works

PWD plans major road works
The Public Works Department has drawn up an ambitious project to develop three traffic corridors to ease traffic congestion in the city.
Times of India

If all goes well Bangaloreans will be relieved of traffic blues to a considerable level. The State Public Works Department (PWD) has chalked out a major project to develop three corridors in a comprehensive way. This means diverting the entry of vehicles and routing them to their respective destination, which may have otherwise passed through city. In other words, this project envisages something on the lines of bypasses.

"The three zones, i.e. Western Corridor Road, Eastern Corridor Road and the Southern Corridor Road measuring around 123.35 km will be developed at a cost of Rs 74 crores in the coming year. The Chief Minster is aware of the traffic burden on the city and he has assured that a budget allocation will be made for the project and also funds will be organised from various agencies", said a senior PWD official.

Giving further details of the projects undertaken by the PWD in and around Bangalore, he said, "right now the PWD is working on the development of five major roads with IT activities - Bannerghatta Road, Airport-Varthur Road, Sarjapur Road, New Central Jail-Sarjapur Road, and the NH 7 to Bannerghatta Road at a cost of Rs 49 crores and will be completed in another five months. Once we are through with these we will take up the other projects".

Coming back to the development of the three corridor roads, he said, increased traffic volumes and loading, inadequate drainage facility, road cutting for utilities and lack of maintenance have led to the distress conditions of the roads. To meet the traffic challenges the PWD will strengthen the roads, widen it to ensure smooth traffic flow, provide shoulder drains, and regulate traffic and loading regulations.

Western corridor road

This project work, planned at a cost of Rs 20 crores, will involve three roads measuring 34 km. The western corridor road starts from NH 4 (Tumkur Road) near Nelamangala and joins SH 17E (Magadi Road) at Tavarekere. It is planned that traffic from Tumkur Road be directed to Kanakapura Road through Kengeri by making a twolane road.

Eastern corridor road

The eastern corridor will involve a cost of Rs 27.45 crores and cover upto 45 km and four roads. This corridor road starts from NH 7 (Hosur Road) and joins NH 4 via Sarjapur, Bommasandra, Varthur, Whitefield, and Kadugodi. The existing road network comprises single lane, intermediate lane and two-lane, and it has to be widened to two-lane for the entire stretch. The traffic from NH 4 and ITPL will diverted towards Hosur Road and NH 4.

Southern corridor road

This project in place will ensure a complete circuit of the corridors involving three roads and 43 km at a cost of Rs 26 crores. This corridor starting at NH 209 (Kanakapura Road) will join NH 7 at Attibele through Bannerghatta Road, Jigini Industrial Road and Anekal. This road intersecting Bannerghatta Road joins Hoskote, Kadugodi, Anekal and further proceeds up to Attibele. This road will connect Bannerghatta National Park, Jigani Industrial Area, Electronic City, ORR, and the newly proposed computerised check post.

Radial roads

The PWD will also develop four radial roads leading into the city that has witnessed development on massive scale in the recent years. The four radial roads are Bangalore-Magadi Road, Yelahanka-Hindupur Road, Bannerghatta-Anekal Road, and Bangalore-Bagalur Road. The radial roads of Anekal Road and Bangalore-Bagalur Road. These radial roads of around 100 km will be developed at a cost of Rs 61 crores.