Government scraps expressway to BIA

Government scraps expressway to BIA
BY R. JAYAPRAKASH
BENGALURU







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? The project has changed hands several times. It was earlier given to the BMRDA and PWD. ? Now, all three agen- cies plead ignorance about the project.
First, the High Speed Rail Link, now, the Expressway. Five years after it was announced, the Rs 1,000 crore 25-km Expressway to the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) has been scrapped.

The project envisaged a 160-km speed super highway from the Outer Ring Road to BIA which would cut short the journey to the airport by more than 45 minutes. The project, to be handled by Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA), has changed hands several times to be given to the public works department (PWD) and then to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

Today, all three agencies say they are not in charge and know nothing about the project.

The project was first proposed in 1998 when the state was making preparations for the BIA. Subsequent governments ignored the project for over seven years. When the concession agreement was being finalised, the project was given a fresh lease of life and BMRDA was asked to implement it with the help of Karnataka Road Development Corporation (KRDCL).

KRDCL, after conducting a detailed study, issued a preliminary notification in 2006 which saw massive protests from residents and villagers all along the alignment ORR-Bharati-Kannur-Chagalatti-BagalurYerathagabihalli-BIA.

After allegations of mishandling the project by KRDCL, it was handed over to PWD. After a delay of over a year, the state infrastructure department announced that NHAI will take up the project on a BOT basis for which the Centre will give viability gap funding. This was in March 2008 and developments have ceased since then. When Deccan Chronicle contacted principal secretary of public works department, R.B. Agwane, he said the project was handled by NHAI. “The project was handed over to NHAI a year ago. That is the agency which will be implementing the project. As far as PWD is concerned we are not doing anything about the project,” he said.

R.K. Singh, NHAI chief general manger in charge of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka and Goa gave the same answer. “There was an announcement that NHAI will take up the pro ject. But so far no one has contacted to us. The PWD is supposed to submit a detail project report. Once they submit it we will work out the modalities. As of now we are not working on the project,” he explained.

The project had its own drawbacks as there is no proper approach road to the ORR from different parts of the city and the starting point of the Expressway near Hennur Road is chaotic as the ORR sees traffic pile-ups during peak hours.

With the state government showing no interest in the dedicated access to the BIA, be it through the High Speed Rail Link or the Expressway, the only option for passengers to BIA is the Bellary Road.