45 roads to be developed under TenderSURE

The project will be undertaken at an estimated cost of Rs 600 cr

The BBMP has decided to develop 45 roads covering 72 km under the TenderSURE (Specifications for Urban Road Execution) scheme at an estimated cost of Rs 600 crore. 

These roads will cost three times more than the normal tar roads, and require minimum maintenance and last for a longer period, about 20 years.

“The government has already sanctioned about Rs 200 crore, the rest the Palike will pool in,” said BBMP Commissioner Lakshminarayana. Work on the TenderSURE roads that have been designed by a City-based NGO will be executed by private builders. Civic agencies including BWSSB and Bescom will work on a common platform with the BBMP to ensure that the plan is properly executed.

Lakshminarayana said there will be uniform pedestrian walks, cycle paths, utility depths and bus bays, which will ensure that the roads are maintained well for long. A separate channel would be created for all the utilities to be laid under the roads, by digging either side of the road. 

Will take one year

“To lay normal roads, it takes a week’s time, while construction of road under TenderSURE will take a year. Once these 45 roads are built, we will take up another 30 roads,” he explained. The NAPC has been assigned the task to lay seven roads covering a stretch of 9.15 km. “The plan was sent to the Cabinet thrice and was sent back without approval. The fourth time the government accepted the proposal,” he said.

Kiran Mazumder Shaw of Biocon said no one came forward initially when the tender was floated. “Capital investment to build such roads will be higher. However, it is going to give us back much more,” she said.

“It is for the first time in the country that any government has taken an initiative to re-design roads similar to the one in front of the UB City,” said Shaw.

Ugandhar Dhanyamraju, Chief Operating Officer, NAPC, said every effort will be made to ensure minimum inconvenience is caused. “Stretches as small as 500 metres would be dug at once and most work will be done only in the night,” he said. 

Dhanyamraju said that the entire month of December would be spent on micro-planning to look into the strategies such as traffic diversions, prioritising the roads and other associated aspects. “We hope to begin with St Marks Road,” he added. The NAPC will use an electro-magnetic sensor to mark the utilities. 

On a pilot basis

Swathi Ramanathan, an architect from Jana Urban Space, who has designed 12 roads, said that the project was started in 2009. “Warton Road and Vittal Mallya Road were taken up on a pilot basis. Even now, you can see how the roads are,” she said. 

MLA Haris said they would have skywalks with escalators near schools to ensure safety when the work is on.

As the work progresses, it will be updated on the website www.ichangemycity.com, which will also act as a forum for the people to post their problems.

CNR Rao Circle underpass to be ready by January

Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner M Lakshminarayana has said that the CNR Rao Circle underpass will be completed by the end of January 2014.

During the inspection of the underpass along with other BBMP officers on Monday, Lakshminarayana said the work had gained momentum after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s inspection in September: “The project is being jointly executed by the East Coast Constructions and Industries (ECCI) and Madhava Hytech at a total cost of Rs 30 crore. Work amounting to Rs 21 crore has already been completed.” He also said the carriageway of the underpass connecting Malleswaram and Yeshwantpur will be operational within the next 15 days. 

The Commissioner also inspected Okalipuram junction where a signal-free corridor project has been proposed. He said the State government has given its nod for the project and soil testing activity for the project had begun. “We have obtained permission from Anil Kumar Agarwal, Division Railway Manager (DRM), South Western Railways and Rs 70 crore has been deposited with the Railways,” Laxminarayana added.

Chairperson of BBMP’s standing committee for major works B Somashekar, who was present during the inspection, told Deccan Herald: “The CNR Rao underpass work started in the year 2010 and was supposed to end by December 2013 as per Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s directions. 

However, due to factors like rains and problems with the previous contractor, the project was delayed. About 70 per cent of the work has been finished. Once the Y-shaped underpass is operational, it will ensure smoother traffic flow towards Yeshwantpur-Malleswaram and Yeshwantpur-Mekhri Circle.We are sure that the project will be completed by January.”

CM sanctions Rs 560 crore for restoring 249 City roads

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has sanctioned Rs 560 crore, earlier this week, for the restoration of major roads in Bangalore.

Sources in the government told  here that the chief minister had signed the papers to sanction the amount in two phases. Both the phases, to repair and re-lay 249 roads, will be taken up exclusively by the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL). 

Under the first phase, it is said that, KRIDL has been asked to take up 139 of the worst roads at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore. 

Once the work on these roads are completed, the government will start the second phase between April-May 2014 to complete the restoration of the remaining 110 roads at a cost of Rs 160 crore.

According to the sources, Siddaramaiah has expressed his views directly to the top officials of KRIDL and told them to complete the task swiftly and proficiently. 

It is said that the government grants were provided as result of the ‘near bankruptcy’ of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and, its inability to complete the project with the given time frame. 

No tendering 

It is said that the government was skeptical about awarding the projects under the tender process on account of delays it may cause in completing the road restoration work before the next monsoon season. Further, it was also said that the government was not comfortable with the rates which were likely to be quoted by contractors, which may exceed 10 to 20 per cent more than the actual cost. 

KRIDL, it is said, will be completing the entire project at the Scheduled of Rates (SR) quoted by the Public Works Department (PWD) for any government project.

Bangalore Airport to be renamed Kempegowda International Airport on Dec 14

Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), the promoters of Bengaluru International Airport, said they would change the name of the airport to Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, with the opening of the new Terminal 1A on December 14. 

The new terminal will be inaugurated by chief minister Siddaramaiah and Union civil aviation minister Ajith Singh. "The new name honours Kempegowda, the founding father of Bangalore, and the renaming is being timed with the opening of the T1A where the facilities, interiors and exteriors mirror the rich culture of Karnataka and the vibrant colours of the Garden City," said G V Sanjay Reddy, MD, BIAL. 

The expanded terminal, which spans over 150,500 sq meters, will more than double the floor space area of the current terminal. In addition, the new terminal will have a Code F aerobridge to accommodate an Airbus A380 aircraft. T1A will increase the number of check-in counters from 53 to 86, immigration counters from 18 to 24, and baggage reclaim belts from nine to 13. 

Soon after the announcement of the T1A expansion, BIAL had launched the Smile Bengaluru campaign, inviting citizens to share their views on what they would like to see in the new terminal. "This is India's first airport built in collaboration with the citizens of Bangalore and the traveller community at large making it a truly inclusive airport," said BIAL.