Network of five elevated corridors proposed to fix traffic woes in Bengaluru

Bengaluru:In yet another major infrastructure proposal to decongest the core city, the State government and Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) are pushing for a network of five elevated corridors linking various parts of the city. The project involves 75.5-km long elevated corridors whose estimated cost is Rs. 14,381 crore. This ambitious project is most likely to be included in the soon-to-be presented State Budget 2015-16.

The network of these elevated corridors is envisaged to fix the connectivity loopholes in a radial city that Bengaluru is. The proposal seeks to connect south Bengaluru to north Bengaluru through an elevated corridor from Silk Board Junction to Hebbal (16 km), east to west Bengaluru through two elevated corridors from Goraguntepalya to K.R. Puram (21 km) and Jnana Bharathi campus to Whitefield (27 km).

Two linking corridors between the three elevated corridors are also part of the proposal.

The two linking corridors will be from Agara to Kalasipalyam, connecting the north-south corridor to the second east-west corridor that connects Jnana Bharathi campus to Whitefield, and the second linking corridor will be between Richmond Road and Ulsoor, linking the two east-west corridors.

R.K. Mishra, member of Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), BBMP, who is involved in the project, said this (project) would decongest the core city. “With a lack of connectivity between south Bengaluru and north Bengaluru, and between the eastern and western parts, commuters are forced to go through core city adding to the traffic chaos. Interlinked elevated corridors will take the pressure off the congested core city,” he added.

Feasibility studyThe feasibility study for the project has also been conducted. A presentation was recently made to the group of Ministers from the city, headed by district in-charge Minister Ramalinga Reddy.

Mr. Reddy said that the project is definite to make it to this year’s State Budget with a substantial allocation.

Seeking fundsMayor N. Shanthakumari is leading a delegation to the Centre seeking funding for the mega project on Monday. They are expected to meet Union Minister for Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu and Defence Minister Manohar Parriker. They have sought an appointment to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well.