Bangalore- Mysore Road to be upgraded into six lanes

Bangalore- Mysore Road to be upgraded into six lanes
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: The Karnataka Development Front (KDF) government, which is planning to bring a legislation to take over the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project (BMIC) is also exploring the possibility of circumventing the project by upgrading the existing four lane Bangalore-Mysore Road (State Highway- 17) into a six lane.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy who is also the PWD Minister is said to have directed the officials to expedite and complete the process of land acquisition to upgrade SH-17 in the next couple of months.

But, the orders are yet to reach the Deputy Commissioners of Bangalore rural, Mandya and Mysore to initiate land acquisition process.

According to official sources, Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) has already sent the file requesting the PWD department to acquire the land to upgrade the existing road.

"We have prepared a detailed plan to upgrade Bangalore-Mysore Road and submitted the proposal to the PWD to acquire the required land for to take up the project," they said.

Three years ago, then Congress government led by Chief Minister S M Krishna started the work of doubling the two lane SH-17. Barring a few patches at Ramanagaram, Chennapattana and Maddur towns, the expansion work has almost completed.

The sources said that Kumaraswamy has also directed the officials to acquire land to construct a by-pass road at Ramanagaram, Chennapattana, Mandya, Maddur and Srirangapattana to reduce travel time between the Capital and the cultural city. An order in this regard is expected to be issued after the Chief Minister returns from his Dubai visit on June 12.

Though, the move is aimed at defeating the very object of BMIC project, officials deny the allegations and said that the government had every right to improve and upgrade its infrastructure facilities including roads.

Defending the decision to upgrade the existing SH-17, KRDCL Managing Director Ramesh Jhalki said that that up gradation was necessary to meet the growing vehicular movement on the stretch.

The up gradation requires little over 100 acres of land is expected to cost Rs. 500 crores. "We have already commenced the survey and marking of lands for the project. The work is expected to be completed within two years from the day of commencement," Jhalki told this website’s newspaper.

The KRDCL is also Planning to provide service roads on either side of the SH-17, he added.

On the other hand, the expressway component of the BMIC project itself requires a minimum of 7,000 acres and estimated to cost a minimum of Rs. 4000 crores. Moreover the SH-17 is toll free unlike the BMIC project.