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.