Metro Rail picks up steam

Metro Rail picks up steam
R Jayaprakash | TNN

Bangalore: The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRC) has been busy with a series of tender finalisations in the recent past. Also, the groundwork for the Rs 6,500-crore mass transit project — expected to be operational in December 2009 — has taken off.
After shortlisting companies that will participate in the main tender bid to supply the Rs-2,200 crore rolling stocks, the authorities have finalised the structural engineering group to assess conditions of buildings that will be pulled down for Reach One.
The authorities will acquire over 642 properties and the final notification has been issued. That apart, the tender for building condition study and structural analysis of existing buildings — proposed for partial or full demolitions — on Reach Two from Magadi Road Leprosy Hospital to Mysore Road Terminal has been floated. Tenders have also been invited for the demolition of buildings.
Tenders for constructing the viaduct, including girders, have also been floated. While General Consultants, who will supervise the overall project execution, was selected in August, BMRC has invited tenders for pre-qualification for design, manufacture, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of signalling/train control and communication systems.
On October 9, tenders were floated for construction of six Metro stations on Reach One.
Detailed design and consultancy for the remaining 24 stations along other alignments will also be finalised soon and the bids were called last week.
Traffic to ease in January 2009
It used to take less than five minutes to traverse the length of MG Road, but now it takes at least halfan-hour.
With work for the Metro Rail taking place in one lane from Kumble Circle and Brigade Road junction, and over two lanes between Brigade Road junction and Trinity Circle, the road surface has shrunk by more than half.
Commuters will have to wait till January 2009 for to the traffic situation to ease.