Cubbon Park spared, but cost escalates

Cubbon Park spared, but cost escalates
Vijay Times News

Bangalore: It will be a breather for the denizens of the City with the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) deciding to spare Cubbon Park from the path of the metro project. But, the project cost would go up by Rs 180 crore.

For Bangaloreans who feared losing a major lung space to the ambitious project, the good news is that the metro will not go underground in the park behind High Court. as originally envisaged. " It (Cubbon Park) is no more part of the metro rail project as the alignment has been diverted from this place, following a meeting with the government," V Madhu, managing director , BMRC told Vijay Times.

He said that as per the new alignment a underground station will come up near Majestic . It will continue towards Vidhana Soudha and pass through Minsk Square and from BRV Parade grounds on the northern side of Chinnaswamy stadium it will pass through MG Road, Brigade Road Junction and T rinity Circle before reaching Byappanahalli.

"The alignment will be from the northern side of Chinnaswamy stadium where a few tennis courts near the police wireless headquarters will be affected," said Madhu. He said that this new alignment would cost an additional Rs 180 crore for BMRC as it was intended to save the park.

He said that a majority of this stretch upto Minsk square where a underground railway station will be set up and the alignment changes at BRV grounds (where the train will run on overhead tracks) ) will not affect major structures during the course of construction.

Earlier , the alignment of the Metro rail was to go 30 metres below the Cubbon park covering a distance of about 500 metres.