Mumbai, July 3 -- Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar inaugurated a 10.7 km long, 100 metre wide signal-free and toll-free arterial corridor in Bengaluru named after former chief minister S M Krishna. The road was built with a Rs 6.31 billion investment and is designed to cut travel time between Magadi Road and Mysuru Road from 60 minutes to 20 minutes. The corridor links Kadabagere Cross with Challaghatta Metro Station and forms a major addition to the city's road network.
The 10-lane modern roadway features green boulevards, service roads and a dedicated cycling track and includes three underpasses, 11 bridges and a 270-metre tunnel. Officials noted a three-metre central median has been provided to facilitate future Metro connectivity. The scheme is described as a faster, toll-free alternative to NICE Road for through traffic.
Officials said the corridor connects all nine blocks of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout and 11 neighbouring villages, improving access for Kambipura, Kommaghatta, Kenchanapura and surrounding localities. They added it will provide quicker routes for commuters travelling from Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan, Ramanagara, Kunigal and Magadi. The route is expected to relieve congestion on several arterial approaches to the city.
The chief minister indicated the government will create a Wall of Gratitude to permanently record the names of landowners who voluntarily provided land for public welfare projects and said the offering will be replicated elsewhere. He outlined that landowners along the stretch will be offered options of 35 per cent commercial land, 40 per cent residential land and Transferable Development Rights compensation. Shivakumar said the present 11 km stretch will be expanded over time to form a 123 km Bengaluru Business Corridor and that tenders for the larger project have already been called. He added that a final notification for the stretch connecting Electronic City to Mysore Road will be issued soon and that work on a shorter tunnel near Hebbal will commence in the coming days.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.