Bangalore Metro to cover more areas in first phase

Bangalore Metro to cover more areas in first phase
The Hindu

Length of the network to increase by seven kilometres

# Biggest extension of five kilometres will be from Yeshwanthpur to Hesaraghatta Road Cross
# BMRC has acquired about 100 acres of Defence land for metro railway yard
# Four more stations to come up between Yeshwanthpur and Hesaraghatta Cross


BANGALORE: The proposed Rs. 6,400-crore Bangalore Metro will cover more areas. It will reach Hesaraghatta Road and Tumkur Road junction, Kengeri, Krishnaraja Puram and Banashankari Bus station (Sarakki Gate).

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) Limited, which is implementing the project, hopes to take it up as part of the first phase of the metro, scheduled to be opened for traffic before the end of 2011.

With this, the 33-km network will go up to at least 40 km, with five-km extension from Yeshwantpur to Hesaraghatta Road Cross on Tumkur Road being the longest.

V. Madhu, Managing Director of BMRC, told The Hindu that this would mean more acquisition of more land and expenditure.

The necessary surveys and reports would be ready soon. Though the BMRC had a rough idea about the additional funds required, a proper estimation was being done, Mr. Madhu said.

BMRC has acquired about 100 acres of Defence land near Ayyappa Temple, off Jalahalli Cross, where a metro railway yard would come up, Mr. Madhu said.

The extension was only natural because metro rail had to provide "seamless travel" for the commuters and serve the nearby important localities, he said. Kengeri and Krishnaraja Puram are only a few hundred metres away from the terminals proposed at Remco Layout on Mysore Road and Byappanahalli. Banashankari Bus Station was also only a little distance away from the proposed R.V. Road terminal, he said.

In the case of Yeshwantpur, initially the BMRC was considering extending the network up to Jalahalli Cross but Hesaraghatta Road Cross (also known as 8th Mile) had emerged as an important junction with high traffic volume.

Hence, it was being extended up to this point. Mr. Madhu said there would be four more stations between Yeshwantpur and Hesaraghatta Cross.

He said the metro rail would be near bus stations to provide seamless travel.

Those who alight from buses should easily walk into metro trains and vice-versa. Delhi Metro rail missed a bit on this count and Bangalore metro should not, Mr. Madhu said.

He said the design for the viaduct (bridge) for the seven-km stretch from Mahatma Gandhi Road (cricket stadium) to Byappanahalli had been approved, and the work was expected to start by October-end. Nine firms had been short-listed after a tendering process. The contract would be awarded soon, he added.

The BMRC will hold a meeting with Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on August 8 to decide on the rehabilitation package and final alignment of the project.