BDA seeks alternatives to widen Outer Ring Road

BDA seeks alternatives to widen Outer Ring Road

NR MadhusudhanFirst Published : 08 Feb 2010 09:48:50 AM ISTLast Updated : 08 Feb 2010 12:20:47 PM IST
BANGALORE: As the repeated efforts to convince Indian Air Force to part with its land near the Jalahalli railway line and the Outer Ring Road (ORR) junction for widening the ORR turned futile, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is planning to construct an underpass and a flyover at a cost of Rs 450 crore to ease traffic flow on that stretch of the ring road.
The plan is still in the initial stages and has to be placed before the technical committee for its approval before the other procedures are initiated.
As there is a Central Machine Testing Laboratory to the other side of the ORR, BDA officials are focusing on the possibility of reducing the vibrations caused by the traffic movement on the flyover and underpass.
According to norms, the road should be at least 300 ft away from the laboratory to get the accurate testing results in the laboratory. If the proposed project is undertaken, the road will be much closer to the laboratory than the prescribed limit.
A BDA official said, “The people in the laboratory have given us some technical specifications and we are exploring the possibilities of meeting their requirements. If approved, this will be a time-bound project and will take at least three years to complete after it is started. This project will clear the bottle-neck and ease the flow of traffic on that stretch of the ORR.” Except the three-km stretch of the ORR adjacent to the Air Force land near Jalahalli, the ORR has been almost completed according to the plan.
BDA is also planning to construct a segmental arch near Mahalakshmi Layout Road and ORR junction to make the junction signal-free. The BDA has also allotted works to construct flyovers at 10 important junctions to make the ORR signal-free.