BMP to widen city roads

BMP to widen City roads

Deccan Herald

Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) will take up its mega project of widening nearly 150 kms of roads in the City, utilising for the first time, the Transferable Development Rights (TDR) model of land acquisition.

The first phase of the project, which will include widening of 52 kms of roads, will commence from April this year, soon after completion of the topography survey by a private firm, highly placed BMP sources told Deccan Herald. The roads have been identified on the basis of traffic volume, density and localities, wherein alternative routes to impose one-ways are not available, sources added. However, what is unique to the project is that BMP will be utilising the Hyderabad model for road-widening work - the TDR scheme.

Recent amendments to the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act 1961 by the state government facilitates transferable development right against acquisition for road widening purposes.

The model, which has been successfully implemented in Hyderabad, works as follows: If the owner gives up his land voluntarily, he will no longer get compensation from the government. Instead, he will be given an additional floor area ratio (FAR), which is 1.5 times the market value of the plot.

A certificate will be issued to the owner for additional FAR, which is the legal document for trading.There are two ways of using the TDR. The owner can sell his or her TDR to a builder, who then utilises it in another part of the city. The other method is to utilise the TDR by building a new structure in the same compound, if there is space, without demolishing the old one. They said it was too early to specify the quantum of private land that will needed to be acquired . “The acquisition of private land will be kept minimal as government land abuts most of the roads shortlisted,” sources added.

To ensure smooth traffic, 40 roads and stretches have been identified for widening, Chief Minister Dharam Singh told the Assembly on Tuesday. The stretches to be widened include:

Bellary Road - Hebbal flyover to Minsk Square; Palace Road - Mysore Bank Circle to High Ground Police Station; Seshadri Road - Central Jail Cross to KR Circle; Nrupatunga Road - KR Circle to Hudson Circle; Vidhana Veedhi - Gopala Gowda Circle to KR Circle; Mission Road - NR Road to KH Road; Devanga Hostel Road - Hudson Circle to Mission Road; Sankey Road - Cauvery Theatre jn to Yeshwanthpur Circle; Lalbagh Road - KH Road to Richmond Circle; Jayamahal Road - Mekhri Circle to Cantt Railway Station; Hosur Road - Central Silk Board jn to Yankey Factory jn; Hosur Luskar Road - D’Souza Circle to Airport Road; Victoria Road - D’Souza Circle to Airport Road; Lower Agram Road - Hosmat Hospital to National Games Village, Koramangala; Sarjapur Road - Kendriya Sadan to Yankey Factory via Dairy Circle; 80 ft Road, Koramangala - National Games Village to Sarjapur Road; Dickenson Road - MG Road to Ulsoor Road; Ulsoor Road - Dickenson Road to Kensington Road; Kensington Road - MG Road to Murphy Road; Murphy Road - Ulsoor Lake to Old Madras Road; Old Madras Road - Trinity Circle to Murphy Road via Ulsoor; Richmond Road - Airport Road to Richmond Circle; Airport Road - Trinity Circle to Airport Helicopter division.

Roads to be widened:
Goodshed Road, Cottonpet Road, Balepet Road, OTC Road, Avenue Road, AM Road, South Link Road, MTB Road, Lalbagh Fort Road, Gandhinagar I Main, Gandhinagar II Cross, A S Char Road, Vani Vilas Road, Subedhar Chatram 4th Main Road, and Mysore Road from Sirsi Circle to Ring Road.

Flyovers
Mr Singh said the BDA will soon complete flyovers at: Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology; Airport Road- Ring Road jn and Ananda Rao Circle. Other projects to be completed in 2005 include:

Banasawadi Road Over Bridge; Modi Road- Chord Road grade separator; National College flyover; Rajajinagar entrance grade separator; Madhavnagar RUB and Cantt Railway station RUB.