K’taka to float tenders for two major road projects

K’taka to float tenders for two major road projects
The Financial Express

BANGALORE, JAN 19 : The Karnataka government is expected to float global tenders for two major road projects, both under public- private-partnership, during the next two to four months, top state officials said.

The projects in the pipeline for global tenders are the proposed Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) and Inner Core Ring Road (ICRR).

The PRR requires large-scale land acquisition as it will be formed as a fresh alignment around Bangalore, while the ICRR doesn’t require any major stretch of land as the project deals with construction of elevated roads on existing road inside the city. Talking to FE on the sidelines of the CII Summit in Bangalore on Friday, commissioner of Bangalore Development Authority Shankaralinge Gowda said, “The total cost of the PRR project is Rs 3,700 crore, including the cost of land.” The government will contribute Rs 1,000 crore in terms of land acquisition while the private entrepreneurs will invest the remaining Rs 2,700 crore for the eight-lane peripheral ring road. The road will stretch across 116 kilometres connecting Hosur and Tumkur highways. The project will be completed in two phases, for which the government has already requested for proposals. The first phase, expected to cover 65 km, will cost Rs 1,600 crore, while the second phase, covering 51 km, will be completed with Rs 1,075 crore.

The final notification for land acquisition for the project would be issued this month, he said and added the project would be completed in three years to service new lay-outs coming up around Bangalore.

Talking about another major road project, Inner Core Ring Road, Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) special commissioner Gaurav Gupta said, “We are in the formulation stage. It is supposed to be a six-lane carriageway. We intend to finalise the project parameters in another two months, and after transparent bidding process, a BOT operator should be identified.”

He indicated that the tender would be floated in the next three to four months. The project, which covers 29.5 km, will be completed at an estimated cost of Rs 1,800 crore. It would be funded by the government and BOT operator on a 50:50 basis. It is likely to attract funds from the Central government sponsored JNNURM scheme.