Karnataka Budget: Rs 900-crore road project to help west Bengaluru outfield

Bengaluru: The govt has revived a two-decade-old road project on the western outskirts of Bengaluru, proposing a new corridor linking Nelamangala and Bidadi. The move comes even as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) continues to face delays in implementing the Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) project, envisaged to connect Tumakuru Road and Hosur Road via the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway.The proposed 43km road from Nelamangala to Bidadi, planned via Tavarekere and Sondekoppa, will serve as an alternative to NICE Road and provide connectivity between Tumakuru Road and the Bengaluru-Mysuru access-controlled highway. The project is estimated to cost around Rs 900 crore, including Rs 450 crore for land acquisition.
CM Siddaramaiah said the road will be developed as part of the long-pending Intermediate Ring Road (IRR), using resources from the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) and local planning authorities, with the aim of easing traffic congestion on the city's outskirts. The IRR was first proposed in 2007 but failed to take off because of multiple hurdles.More than two decades ago, the authorities planned a 210km IRR linking several towns around Bengaluru, including Nelamangala, Tavarekere, Bidadi, Harohalli, Anekal, and Varthur. The Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL) was tasked with executing the project. In 2020, KRDCL initiated plans to build about 148km of peripheral roads across 10 stretches at an estimated cost of Rs 1,200 crore, but much of the work remains incomplete.A senior urban development department official said, "This is a long-pending project. Authorities had taken up the work in bits and pieces earlier. Over the years, several buildings have come up along the previously planned alignment. There was also a proposal to build a 90-metre-wide road. The govt has now decided to revive the project to benefit areas located between Tumakuru Road and the Bengaluru–Mysuru access-controlled highway."Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Women's day wishes, messages and quotes !