Radial road plan on fast track

Radial road plan on fast track

Public Works Department says the project will be completed in the next two months

Bosky Khanna. Bangalore



The proposal to construct and maintain radial roads connecting all ring roads across the city to ease traffic has not been enforced in many places.
However, the Public Works Department (PWD) says the work is progressing and it will be completed in two months.
The idea to construct 39 key radial roads under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) was proposed by the Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA). It was to be launched on January 19 2007 covering 883.40km with a Rs683.56 crore budget and Rs240 crore Central aid. But the plan was shelved. It is now being completed by the Public Works Department.
A senior BMRDA official said, "The idea to construct radial roads to upgrade infrastructure and ease traffic outside BBMP limits was proposed by us. But JNNURM funds were not allocated for the project on the grounds that it fell outside city limits and JNNURM funds were meant for projects within the city limits alone. So we dropped the idea of road construction. PWD was then appointed as the agency to complete the task. We are now acting as consultants.''
Radial roads connecting Intermediate Ring Road (IRR) and Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) would be completed when both ring roads are completed. Though it was a long-term project, the alignments here had been fixed and would not change for any other land project, the official said.
STRR, to be constructed by BMRDA, is awaiting the cabinet's approval. IRR, being constructed by Bangalore Development Authority, is also awaiting the government's clearance. The government, on its part, is thinking whether to go ahead with IRR. Land acquisition process for the Peripheral Ring Road, being constructed by BDA, is yet to start. Only part of PRR from Tumkur road to Hosur Road towards south had been constructed by NICE.
In the meantime, the radial road proposal was taken up by the PWD which is aiming to complete construction of major roads linking ring roads in two months.
A PWD official said, "We are constructing 46 major roads. For construction, these roads have been divided into major roads, special division and Ramanagara division for their quick execution. The work on all the roads started in 2007 and is likely to be completed in two months. In some areas, the existing roads need to be maintained.