No integrated plan for roads to International Airport

No integrated plan for roads to International Airport
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: When the Devanahalli International Airport is ready by 2008, the city roads leading to it would be clogged and perhaps you would spend more time in wading through the congested traffic than the air travel time to Singapore or Hongkong. Thanks to Government’s lack of vision, there is no integrated approach to develop the roads keeping the international airport in focus.

Though Public Works Department (PWD), Bangalore Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (BMRDA) and Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL), is developing the roads they all seem to be stand alone projects. Further, the proposed five townships of BMRDA and four by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE) would add to the congestion.

The only Airport Expressway entrusted to BMRDA is at the stage of techno economic feasibility report by KRDCL and the road starts from Outer Ring Road near Chennammana Kere.

The detailed project report would take another six months and then the tenders would be floated. Recently, the government also announced a Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) and BMRDA is yet to come out with a preliminary survey.

STRR alignment is Dobaspete - Magadi - Ramanagar - Kanakapura - Anekal - Attibele - Hoskote - Devanahalli - Doddaballapur - Dobaspete. STRR along with radial roads are expected to ease congestion on city roads.

On the other hand PWD has taken up repair of 37 roads around the City at an estimated cost of Rs 672 crore. But

PWD sources said that the department received little response to develop 891.3 km long roads. ‘‘Contractors now prefer investing in real estate business as government payments are delayed by about two years. But we will repeat tender notifications,’’ said a PWD official.

PWD is taking up repair works on major roads all over Bangalore Urban district but no road would be widened under the project. National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has also delayed its work to upgrade and widen Bellary Road, which forms a vital link between International Airport and the city. Sources said that the work is delayed almost by four years due to problems in land acquisition by the State government.