Work on Metro Rail to start by March 26

Work on Metro Rail to start by March 26

The Hindu

Exact location of work will be announced in a week: Madhu

BANGALORE: Bangaloreans will see the first construction activity of the Rs. 6,400-crore Metro Rail by March 26.

Huge machines will start digging bores to erect pillars for the 7-km viaduct from M.G. Road to Byappanahalli.

Managing Director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) V. Madhu told The Hindu that the first digging would begin on M.G. Road between Kumble Circle and Kamaraj Road on the one hand and on Old Madras Road near Byappanahalli on the other.

The exact location of work and traffic diversion plans would be announced in a week's time, Mr. Madhu said.

The construction of viaduct on the 7-km stretch has been awarded to M/s. Navayuga Engineering Co. (India) of Hyderabad for Rs. 115 crore. Mr. Madhu said the company has been asked to move the machinery to Bangalore to begin the work. A project manager from the company is expected to start working here from Monday or Tuesday.

The company would simultaneously begin the work on building the casting yard at the Defence Land on Old Madras Road near BDA Complex and the work on erecting piers for the viaduct.

A draft traffic diversion plan was ready and it would be discussed with the Police Commissioner and the Managing Director of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation soon, he said.

Mr. Madhu has gone on record saying that the traffic would not be affected much from Anil Kumble junction to Brigade Road as the work would be mainly restricted to the boulevard.

Beyond this, the work would take up to eight metres of the road. This would affect the flow of traffic. The work would be restricted to a stretch of 200 metres to 300 metres at any given point of time to minimise inconvenience. The volunteers of the contractor would man the traffic.

He recently promised the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry that the BMRCL would ensure that there was not much debris left on the road. Even the tyres of the vehicles moving out of the work areas would be washed. The contracting company was identifying the quarries to dump the waste generated. He agreed to the suggestion to put in place a mechanism to hear public views and grievances on the Metro construction.

Mr. Madhu said the Bangalore Development Authority had agreed to give 140 shops in Sarjapur for businessmen displaced to build the Metro. Talks were on to acquire more shops elsewhere. The modalities of distribution of the shops were yet to be worked out.