BMICP: Access road stretch soon

BMICP: Access road stretch soon
A part of the BMICP between Kengeri and Kanakapura Road will be thrown open to commuters by November
The Times of India


Some respite for commuters is in store as the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE) is all set to open a 12-km stretch between Kengeri and Kanakapura Road by November, and commuters can drive on an international-quality road. NICE's Managing Director, Ashok Kheny, says, "since this is a new road, the approximate cost of the construction of this road is around Rs 13 crores. We will in all probability open the stretch between Mysore Road (State Highway 17) at Kengeri and Kanakapura Road (State Highway 86) near Talgatpura by November 1. The major portion of land for this stretch is with us but a certain portion of land has to be allotted for timely completion of this stretch". The company is currently close to completing 37 km out of the 62 km road in the first phase. The 62 km road consists of 41 km of peripheral roads connecting the National Highway 4 on Tumkur Road, running through Magadi Road, Mysore Road, Kanakapura Road, Bannergatta Road and Hosur Road (near Electronic city), 9 km of link roads connecting the heart of the city to the expressway, 12 km of expressway connecting Bidadi near Toyota Kirloskar plant.

The main features of this 4-lane road is that it is gradeseparated, has less than three percent gradient, access controlled toll road with under passes, cattle passes and utlity ducts at frequent intervals. It has an 11.6 metre center median on the peripheral roads and 15 metre median on the expressway, which can be used either for expanding the road to six lanes or incorporating a light rail/mono rail system. NICE has proposed to charge one rupee a km.

Kheny says the Supreme Court recently directed NICE to expedite the project and they are working towards achieving it. "If the land is made available to us we hope to complete the entire first phase by end of December 2005". The 12-km stretch between Kengeri and Kanakapura Road will immediately decongest the exiting single lane road, which is dangerously over-burdened. Heavy vehicles coming from Mysore and Kerala and plying towards Tamil Nadu (Hosur) can now bypass Bangalore and touch Hosur Road through Kanakapura. This will considerably reduce traffic density between Kengeri and Bangalore. Further, NICE is working towards completion of the stretch between Kanakapura Road and Bannerghatta Road and expects that it should be over in a month's time after the Kengeri and Kanakapura Road is open

On the other hand, the State Government has asked NICE to start work on the project near Mysore as it would speed up the work if work happen simultaneously from both ends.