Infrastructure set to get lions share

Infrastructure set to get lions share
By Afshan Yasmeen,DH News Service,Bangalore:
The Citys infrastructure is all set to get a major boost this year with the BBMP planning to construct 37 pre-cast underpasses, 34 automated skywalks, 50 km of elevated roads, upgrade 700 km of roads in the new areas, develop 1,000 km of arterial roads in old wards and renovate more parks and markets in its 2008-09 budget.

The City’s infrastructure is all set to get a major boost this year with the BBMP planning to construct 37 pre-cast underpasses, 34 automated skywalks, 50 km of elevated roads, upgrade 700 km of roads in the new areas, develop 1,000 km of arterial roads in old wards and renovate more parks and markets in its 2008-09 budget.
The budget, to be presented by Special Commissioner (Finance and Resources) Sandeep Dash to Administrator Dilip Rau, has set aside around Rs 2,900 crore for overall infrastructure development. This includes funds from JNNURM.
The total outlay this time is likely to be around Rs 3,500 crore. Of this, around Rs 600 crore have been set aside for welfare, health and education departments. The civic body expects to mobilise revenue through implementation of CVS, Sakrama and new advertisement rules.
Last year’s outlay was Rs 3,312 crore.
Goodies for new areas
The budget is likely to announce a proposal to upgrade 700 km of roads in the new zones to the standard of arterial roads. “The common complaint is roads in new areas are very bad. So, we have set aside Rs 150 crore only for these roads,” official sources told Deccan Herald.
A private consultancy agency will be entrusted with the work of conducting a survey of these roads. “Based on the report, the identified roads will be developed in the same way as Bellary Road or RV Road,” sources said.
Elevated roads
The BBMP is likely to permit collection of toll from users of elevated roads it is planning at three important junctions. According to the proposal, 25 km of elevated roads will be constructed by the Delhi-based IDEB Projects in collaboration with Shanghai Urban Construction Group. The detailed project report is ready and joint inspections have been conducted, sources said.
Elevated roads will be constructed over stretches of Hosur Road (from Shoolay Circle to Silk Board Junction), old Airport Road (from Kodihalli Gate to Kundalahalli Gate) and Raj Bhavan Road (from Minsk Square to Hebbal entrance). “The proposed high-speed rail link has also been planned on the stretch from Minsk Square to Hebbal. The elevated roads will be constructed by putting up pillars on the medians”, sources added. Similar roads of 25 km have been planned over Mysore Road and Tumkur.