Metro picks up pace along Phase-2

Work on Phase-2 of Namma Metro is a little closer to taking off with the BMRCL inviting tenders for geotechnical investigations for this phase. Three separate tenders have been invited for execution of similar works in three sections of the project. The geotechnical investigation will be carried out on the two extensions of Reach-1 and Reach-2, which are part of Phase-2. Tenders have also been floated for geotechnical testing for a new metro line in phase-2, that is, Reach-5 that stretches between R.V. Road and Bommasandra, a 16-km-long stretch.

Soil tests for any infrastructure project are crucial. These tests determine the soil strata and enable designers to design appropriate foundations Reach-5 is going to provide the much needed connectivity to the bustling locations of south Bengaluru. The 16-km network will have 16 stations which include R.V. Road, Raggigudda temple, Jayadeva hospital station, BTM Layout, Silk Board, HSR Layout, Oxford College, Muneshwara Nagar, Chikkabegur, Basapura Road station, Hosa Road, Electronic City, Huskar Road, Hebbagodi and Bommasandra. This line once completed will help decongest areas where a large number of private companies are located, especially Silk Board, which has been a bottleneck all this while.

“There are several hundred people who used to travel via Silk Board which connects to important parts of the city like HSR Layout and BTM Layout. The metro network is planned at this strategic location to ensure that people can avail the metro facility for commuting. Also, this line will be connecting to Electronic City which is a major IT- BT hub and a metro link to this location was very important. The line will also cover important hospitals like Jayadeva on Bannerghatta Road,” said a senior BMRCL official.

Budget bonanza for Namma Metro

The Union Ministry of Urban Development got an increase of Rs 874 crore in its annual budget with a majority of the amount envisaged to be spent on  construction and extension of Metro network in cities across the country.
 Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced that while Delhi Metro will be getting Rs 1,112.57 crore as equity, because of its huge expansion plan, Bangalore Metro will get Rs 900 crore and Chennai, Rs 990 crore as equity.
The total plan outlay for the ministry, which partly owns all Metro networks in the country along with the respective state governments, is Rs 7,729 crore as against the last year’s allocation of Rs 6,855 crore.
A total of Rs 3,164.57 crore will be infused into the Metro Rail Corporations of Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Jaipur and Kochi as Union Government’s equity.
Further, Rs 603 crore is earmarked for water supply and sanitation in Metro networks across the country.
As part of this allocation, the government also allocated Rs 570.88 crore as pass through assistance for Bangalore Metro, Rs 2,030 crore has been earmarked for Delhi Metro and Kolkata would receive Rs100 crore.
Chairman and Managing Director of the Bangalore Metro Sivasailam said that the Budget was favourable.
“Metro policies are already present. The current budget has been quite favourable overall. The Ministry of Urban Development too has made a proposal, and finance aspect has been considered,” Sivasailam said.
Urban experts claimed this was advantageous for not just Bangalore Metro but for other Metro constructions as well.
However, they specified that unless construction was completed in the stipulated time, allocating more funds would only harm taxpayers’ money. “Metro work is a white elephant’s work. It is the tax payers’ money and not just the government money that is being used in the construction that often gets delayed. Costs are going up and each time, more funding is required. Around Rs 1 lakh crore has been earmarked for transportation already,” said M N Sreehari, traffic advisor.

Bangalore's Hebbal flyover set to go wider

Here’s some good news for Bangaloreans. The busy Hebbal flyover that connects the Bengaluru International Airport to rest of the city will soon become six-lane wide, thus giving respite to the beleaguered traffic in the area. This is not all. The entire stretch of the road leading to the airport will be signal-free, thus enduring smooth traffic movement.

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is handing over the Hebbal flyover to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for making it six-lane wide. Furthermore, NHAI is also preparing a detailed project report on making NH-7, from Hebbal flyover to international airport, eight-lane wide and signal-free.

BDA engineer R Sreenivasa said that they had discussed the issue with the officials of NHAI and Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and government orders have also been issued. The BDA will clear the debris below the flyover and landscape the area at a cost of Rs1.9 crore, before handing it over to the NHAI for the widening work. Of the 5.6 km flyover, the NHAI aims to add piers on a kilometre stretch to make it six lane.

The BDA had constructed the flyover in coordination with the NHAI. The agency aims to develop 9.6 acresbelow the flyover and hand it over. A statue of Kempegowda will also be installed here.
BDA engineers point that the passenger car units (pcu) was 12,364 vehicles during peak hours in 2009 which is likely to increase to 13,291 in 2010.

BBMP chief engineer (major roads) Chikkarayappa said, the road till Hebbal belongs to the Palike and it will be handed over to improve upon the existing infrastructure. Furthermore, NHAI is also conducting surveys to construct flyovers at five junctions on the highway towards airport, to make it signal free. This will ensure seamless connectivity, NHAI manager, technical, Ravi Sudhakar told DNA. The project for widening the flyover, widening the highway till airport and constructing flyovers is estimated around Rs600 crore. It will be taken up on a public private partnership (PPP) model.

Experts point out that there is a need to undertake this project as the vehicular movement is rapidly increasing. Advisor to the government of Karnataka for traffic, transportation and infrastructure, MN Sreehari said that once road is widened, traffic will increase and thus lead to road congestion. He felt that as compared to BBMP and BDA, the NHAI has better expertise and knowledge it was a good idea to assign them this task.

New plan to lay concrete roads in City

The State Government has decided to construct concrete roads in the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike jurisdiction on a cost-sharing basis with the civic agency.

‘Tender Sure’, a committee comprising urban planning experts, will provide Palike comprehensive specifications for civic amenities along the City roads across Bangalore. The first suggestion made by it and accepted by the State and the Palike is to provide concrete roads for commuters.

Palike Commissioner Shankarlinge Gowda said: “The project will provide quality concrete roads to citizens. The initial proposal will be to construct seven kilometres of concrete roads in the City on a 50:50 cost sharing model between the Palike and the State government.”

The roads will be constructed in such a way that it will not require cutting of roads for laying of underground drainage lines, telephone lines or power connections.

This would also see a large-scale makevoer along these roads where culverts, stormwater drains and other menial works will be taken up simultaneously.

The Palike Commissioner has suggested the State government to increase the allocation for laying these model concrete roads from seven kilometres to 25 kilometres. Currently, the Palike is in the process of identifying the stretch where concrete roads can be laid.

Two years ago, the Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA) had laid ‘free of cost’ cement road along Hosur Road to entice the Palike into laying the same across the City.

Rs 5,500 cr earmarked for Bangalore development

Karnataka budget for 2012-13 has a slew of initiatives, including expansion of terminal I of city airport and Metro Rail, for the development of country's IT hub.
The budget presented by state Chief Ministerster D V Sadananada Gowda has increased the outlay for the city to Rs 5,500 crore from Rs 4,770 crore in last year's budget.

Expansion of Terminal I of Bangalore International Airport (BIA), developed on PPP model and undertaken at a cost of Rs 1,479 crore, will be completed by December 2012, Gowda said in the assembly.

"It will handle 17.5 million passengers per annum as compared to existing capacity of 11 million."
Work on Phase-2 of Metro Rail is planned to commence during 2012-13 and would be completed by by 2017-18, he said.

The entire Phase 1 of Metro Rail is expected to be completed by December 2013, Gowda said, adding, "an outlay of Rs 500 crore has been made for the metro project."

Within the next 9 months opening of another 10.4 km is planned, Gowda said.

The State Government has approved the Phase-2 consisting of 4 extension lines and 2 new lines with a total length of 72 km at a total cost of Rs 26,405 crore.

The extension lines will give the much-needed last mile connectivity to the commuters.

The two new lines traversing through some of the densest and traffic congested areas of Bangalore are expected to provide connectivity to the Information Technology industry, he said.

Work of laying natural gas pipeline from Dabhol to Bangalore by Gas Authority of India Limited is expected to be completed this fiscal, Gowda said.

Gowda said GAIL and Karnataka State Industrial Infrastructure and Development Corporation have formed a joint venture company to provide clean fuel for power plants, transport vehicles, industries and households in and around Bangalore. (MORE) PTI BDN MSR BN KSR 03211946

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP-city corporation) would take up five important signal-free corridor projects with a total length of 51.5 km during 2012-13 at an estimated cost of Rs 426 crore to ease traffic congestion, Gowda said.

Sixteen methane generation projects by using wet solid waste would also be taken up through PPP model in Bangalore.

Gowda said total financial support of Rs 1,000 crore will be provided to BBMP for financing major selected projects including road, parking and solid waste management infrastructure during 2012-13.

The Cauvery Water Supply Scheme - Stage IV - Phase II is likely to be completed by September 2012, which would bring additional 500 MLD water to Bangalore and give much needed relief to outer areas, he said.

Ten new police stations, including three traffic police stations in Bangalore, would be started and Rs 20 crore is being provided for traffic police, Gowda said.

A total outlay of Rs 126 crore has been provided for promotion of Information Technology, Bio-Technology and Science and Technology activities.

Meanwhile, an infrastructure bill to facilitate more projects on public-private-partnership basis through transparent and accountable procedures having statutory backing would be brought before the Legislature, Gowda said today.

He said a comprehensive Karnataka Strategic Infrastructure Investment Plan with a large bouquet of investment-ready infrastructure projects in 12 sectors is being prepared with assistance of competent consultants and transaction advisors.

To give a major push to the industrial growth, Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board would develop a land bank across the state with an investment of Rs 2,000 crore.

Gowda said 11 sector-specific parks in various regions focused on food, gems and jewellery, auto ancillary, machine tool and pharmaceutical would be set up by KIADB with a total outlay of Rs 70 crore.

Swastik Malleshwarm Station by Mantri Developers

METRO SET TO BECOME EXPENSIVE