Six-laning off to a canter as walls come down

Six-laning off to a canter as walls come down
DH News Service, Bangalore:
Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palikes ambitious road-widening work kicked off at Race Course Road on Wednesday as the footpath and boundary walls were pulled down to pave the way for a six-lane road.

Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s ambitious road-widening work kicked off at Race Course Road on Wednesday as the footpath and boundary walls were pulled down to pave the way for a six-lane road.
The boundary walls of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, KPTCL, Taj West End Hotel were demolished in the process. The road will be widened by 30 meters on either side, from Ananda Rao Circle to Basaveshwara Circle.
The road widening work, entrusted to Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd, would be completed in four months, it is learnt.
“The work has been undertaken keeping in mind the City’s traffic growth in the next two decades. After the Chief Minister appealed to property owners, they have come forward to hand over their land,” BBMP Commissioner K Jairaj claimed.
Turf club spooks
Meanwhile, Bangalore Turf Club, which is required to give up a sizable portion of its land, is said to be unwilling to do so and has made a representation to the State Government in this regard.
“BBMP had asked us to part with 20 feet but this is not possible as the sub-way connecting the parking lot and the club will be affected,” said Nirmal Prasad, Secretary of the Club. Hotel Chalukya building has been spared as it is not on the main road taken up for widening.
Apart from the busy Race Course Road, the other roads to be widened are the Palace Road, Seshadri Road and Kasturba Road. Work on these roads is expected to start shortly.
TDRs for ‘volunteers’
Meanwhile, those giving up their land will get certificates under the Transferable Development Rights.
The TDR certificate will be for 1.6 times the land they have parted with.
The certificate can also be sold to any party within five years.
BBMP has also plans to undertake similar road-widening works at Hosur and Bellary Roads.
Meanwhile, the police say there would be no traffic diversions for the widening works.