North-south elevated corridor to ease traffic

North-south elevated corridor to ease traffic
Wednesday June 18 2008 09:52 IST

Express News Service

BANGALORE: To provide seamless connectivity between the northern and southern parts of Bangalore, the State Government has proposed to build a north-south elevated corridor, besides a link road to ease traffic in the eastern parts of Bangalore.

Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said that the private company IDEB had come forward to build the north-south corridor along with the link road, and the government had given its in-principle approval. ''We will build it using the 'Swiss Challenge' method,'' he added.

Urban Development Principal Secretary Jyothi Ramalingam said that the 16 km north-south corridor will extend from Hebbal to Madiwala via Minsk Chowk and Vellara Junction, while the eastern link road will be laid from Vellara Junction to Kundalahalli via Kodihalli. The link road will be 12 km long and the cost of the project Rs 2,800 crore.

Ramalingam said that since the northsouth corridor ran parallel to the proposed high-speed rail link to the new Bangalore International Airport, converting the corridor into a two-tiered expressway and a rail track over the road was also being considered.

''The State Government would soon inform the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and Karnataka Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation, and if a common agreement for such a two-tiered expressway is reached, we will go ahead with the plan,'' he added.

''Attempting to solve the parking problems in the city, the State Government is also planning to build automated parking complexes on the Swiss Challenge method,'' he added.

There will be two types of complexes - one exclusively for parking and the other with shopping complexes and parking facilities. ''A company called SPML has submitted a proposal to the Government, expressing interest to build the parking complexes,'' he said.

These complexes are proposed at Gandhinagar, Old Jail Complex, Gandhi Bazar Flower Market, S P Cross Road, Russel Market (all are exclusive parking complexes), Kengeri, Surana College, Shandy Grounds at Yelahanka, RTO office at Yelahanka and Dr Ambedkar College at Nagarabhavi (parking complexes with shopping complexes).