Elevated expressway works on track

Elevated expressway works on track
Monday November 12 2007 08:27 IST

BANGALORE: Hopefully the crowded Bangalore- Hosur National Highway m ay in the near future be free of growling traffic as the elevated expressway works are right on track.

The Expressway which stretches from the Central Silk Board Junction to Electronic City is in the process of being expanded to a six-lane expressway.

The Rs 776-crore project consists of an elevated four lane expressway to the Electronic City supported by a six-lane ground level road an d a two-lane service lane. The project is about 9.5-km and is expected to be operational by July 2008.

Sources at the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) said: “The four lane expressway will be widened to a six-lane expressway and two service roads will be laid. About 80 per cent of the construction of pile duct has been completed and pier construction is in progress. There will be three launching entries, which are also in progress.”

“About four pedestrian underpasses are to be constructed, of which two are completed and works are in progress for the other two,” added the sources.

The project is being implemented under the private public partnership of Electronic City Industrial Association, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), and Karnataka Government.

BETL: Bangalore Elevated Tollway Ltd (BETL) is the special purpose vehicle created to manage the Elevated Expressway project.

The project is on build-own transfer (BOT) basis for a concession period of 18 years. A toll price is proposed from Rs 10 to Rs 70 per trip for different modes of vehicles, including heavy commercial vehicles.