NHAI begins work on expressway to BIA

NHAI begins work on expressway to BIA
S Praveen Dhaneshkar, Bangalore, Aug 3, DH News Service:

Reaching Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) by road will be easier in 2013, with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) beginning work on upgradation of the existing four-lane highway to a six-lane expressway.

As per the NHAI project, the four-lane highway between Hebbal and Yelahanka (Kogilu Junction) on NH-7 will be upgraded into a 22.12 km long elevated six-lane expressway. A two-lane service road will also be laid on either side of the NH-7, making the stretch a wide 10-lane National Highway.

To be built at a cost of Rs 680 crore on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis, the project has been given to Navayuga Engineering Co Ltd to be completed in two years from early 2011, when the construction is expected to start.

The project is part of an overall proposal for upgradation, operation and maintenance of 534.72 km to 556.84 km of the Hyderabad-Bangalore section under phase VII of the National Highway Development Project.

As a prelude to the construction, a geo-technical investigation or soil test was being carried out on NH-7 to determine the nature of the soil and ground rock depth, NHAI sources said.

Connectivity
When completed, the project is expected to facilitate faster connectivity to BIA.

The purpose of the project is to eliminate traffic signals on the 3.5-km long stretch between Hebbal flyover and Yelahanka bypass.

“The upgradation will also improve service roads and ensure that motorists experience a signal-free road corridor. The project will also have a flyover or an underpass at signal intersections on the remaining part of the NH-7 road, between Yelahanka and trumpet inter-change. Navayuga will transfer the elevated highway to us after collecting toll fee for a period of 20 years,” NHAI sources said.