You can’t fly over to Electronic City yet

You can’t fly over to Electronic City yet
Tolled Expressway Promises A Quick Ride | Mahurat Not Fixed | No Clear Picture
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: It was Nandan Nilekani’s only wish when he left Infosys campus in Electronic City earlier this year — to get a chance to zoom on the smooth four-lane Electronic City elevated expressway, which aimed to reduce the woes of IT personnel working at the coveted tech field area.
Six months later, there is no clear picture about the opening date or toll fixed to glide on the smooth tarmac. The neatly-laid four lanes — two lanes in either direction, metal dividers in-between, the entire stretch lined with streetlights on either side, concrete medians painted black and white, work appears to be going on.
Speculation over the inauguration of the tolled, access-controlled expressway has been going on for months now. The authorities are tight-lipped about the opening date of the project, scheduled to be opened on September 2008. Meanwhile, finishing touches on the site continues in full swing.
LONG WAIT FOR SHORT CUT...
It’s been a long wait for this smooth stretch, ever since it was conceived in 2006. Once open, this 9-10 km expressway stretch — connecting Central Silk Board (CSB) junction and Electronic City — is expected to take just 15-20 minutes (presently, travel time through this stretch is at least one hour during peak hours).
The Rs 765-crore expressway project is part of the BETL (Bangalore Elevated Tollways Ltd), for their client National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The project, initiated in early 2006, was expected to be complete by September 2008, but was pushed to April 2009. At the end of the year, there are no signs of an official announcement. Part of it is being built by Maytas Infra Ltd. It starts from Bommanahalli after the CSB flyover, goes on up to Electronics City, and arches over the BMIC flyover on Hosur Road.
All that an official of NHAI said was: “The project is nearing completion and we have not received any notification regarding the opening date or toll rates for the project.’’
RUNWAY CLOSED
COST: Rs 765 cr (approx.) LENGTH: 9.985 km CARRIES: 4 lanes of traffic CROSSES: Electronic City, Singasandra, Bommanahalli, Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor DESIGN: Concrete Flyover