Signal-free corridor shown green light

Signal-free corridor shown green light
The five-km Rajajinagar Corridor will be built at a cost of Rs 125 crore
BANGALORE MIRROR BUREAU


After much deliberation and delay, the first of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP’s) ambitious Big 10, signal-free corridors finally saw the light of the day on Wednesday.
The Rajajinagar Corridor, which is a 5 km stretch between Oklipuram and Yeshwanthpur with six underpasses dotting it, will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 125 crore. But before the actual project begins, the BBMP will start work on a deviation two-lane road through Minerva Mills to facilitate easy traffic movement. This road will connect Magadi Junction and Rajajinagar Link Road and is expected to be ready in a month and a half.
Suresh Kumar, the Minister for Urban Affairs, Law and Parliamentary Affairs, laid the foundation store for the works.
TWIN PHASES
The six underpasses will come up at Okalipuram Junction, Vivekananda College Circle, 10th Cross, Navrang Theatre, Bridge Stone and Navrang Bar. The project, however, has been split into two phases. Three underpasses, 10th Cross at an estimated cost of Rs 10.52 crore, Okalipuram Junction at an estimated cost of 13.46 crore and Vivekananda College at estimated cost of Rs 7.71 crore will be completed in first phase within a timeline of 8 months. All the six underpasses are expected to be 31 meters wide.
ORIGINAL PLAN
Dr Rajkumar Road which is among the busiest in the city within an estimated Passenger Car Unit (PCU) of 15,000, connects Bangalore with Tumkur through Yeshwanthpur, Basveshwaranagar and Rajajinagar. This was the original route for the Inner Core Ring Road (ICRR) that was shelved by the BBMP due to the cost factor. Therefore, the BBMP had to consider elevated expressways. However, when they found that a toll fee would have to be levied to recover costs, the Palike gave up completely.
It was then that the BBMP came up with the idea of substituting ICRR with a more economic alternative of the Big 10 signal-free corridors. The BBMP had originally planned to complete three more signal free corridors - Old Airport road to Vellara junction, Silk Board to Vellara Junction and Mehkri Circle to Hope Farm via Jayamahal and Murphy Road along with this project simultaneously as part of phase one. But the other three corridors are now on hold with no word on when they will begin.