Six-lane roads near Soudha. How many trees to fall prey?

Smooth traffic flow near Soudha soon
Lok Ayukta Sets 15-Day Deadline; BCC Plans Six-Laning Of Roads
The Times of India

Bangalore: Narrower, busier and chock-a-block with traffic. And near a venue considered the toast of the city — Vidhana Soudha. Solution: Six-laning of roads.

Taking cognisance of the chaotic traffic situation that is eating into roads in the vicinity of Vidhana Soudha, the Lok Ayukta has set a deadline for the BCC — start roadwidening in the next 15 days. Swiftly responding, civic authorities plan to streamline the traffic entering roads near Vidhana Soudha.

As a first step, they plan to discourage commuters getting into Cubbon Park if they are not going to Vidhana Soudha but are using the road as a conduit to another destination.

The roads being given priority are Palace Road and Seshadri Road, both of which lead to Vidhana Soudha and other destinations thence. Explains Lok Ayukta Venkatachala, who is evincing keen interest in the project: “These two roads right now are too narrow to accommodate so much traffic. I want to see roads going to Vidhana Soudha widened and I’m pressurising the BCC to start it within 15 days. The only ‘solution’ authorities have been implementing is making roads one-ways if they get too chaotic to handle.’’

The proposed six-laning for roads leading to Vidhana Soudha invokes the provisions of TDR, Transfer of Development Rights. But unlike roads where the BCC has had to indulge in hard sell and bargaining, there are not too many obstacles here because most land belongs to the government. Explains BCC technical adviser R. Jaiprasad: “To widen roads around Vidhana Soudha we need extra land of 30 mts. There has been support from organisations who need to give a part of their land. Like, the Director of Technical Education on Palace Road has already given his concurrence.’’

6-LANE ROUTE
Seshadri Road: From Anand Rao Circle to K.R. Circle to Hudson Circle Palace Road: From Mysore Bank Circle to High Grounds police station Both routes now have to pass through roads around and adjacent to Vidhana Soudha