Updates on BETL, please

Here is some news from Express.  BETL will be thrown open to the public in May.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Elevated+highway+to+be+ready

I hope they have thought through a few things

a. Managing accidents and breakdowns.  If one or worse both lanes get blocked because of a breakdown or accident, how does a towing vehicle/ambulance reach quickly.  They have exits only at each end.  The part of the road behind the accident will be crazy - so no access from there.  A towing vehicle will have to drive against the traffic to reach?  Do they have removable median sections to provide accress or create counter flow lanes?

b. Toll collection - hopefully only at exits and NOT at entrances.  The toll booth at the exit will serve to regulate traffic as well into the city roads near Silkboard.

c. How will they regulate speed on the expressway given Bangaloreans' good sense of safety and voluntary submission to rules and regulations?

I think I will stand near Silkboard a few weeks after the highway is opened to watch what happens.

Srivathsa

I think I will stand near Silkboard a few weeks after the highway is opened to watch what happens.

This is probably what you will see

That toll plaza "boasts" 16 lanes in each direction.  Traffic seems to have backed up 12-15 car lengths and more seem to be behind.  That would be about 300 -350 cars - would still fit comfortably into a 3 coach MRT train.

That road is 27 km long.  So 27 km in 20 mins + 40 mins at the toll plaza and we have averaged a spectacular 27 kmph.  They have sensible toll rates such as Rs.17, 11, 34, etc. which help in increasing transaction times. 

Srivathsa

They are now in a "Damned if you do and damned if you don't stage".   There are two possibilities - they have enough toll plazas and clear the traffic quickly; this will lead to massive jamming at the Silkboard flyover.  The other possibility is they don't have enough toll plazas and the traffic backs up on the elevated road. 

Typically a 2 second rule is to be followed - keep a 2 second gap between two cars.  At 72 kmph this will be a 40 m gap.  (I think we keep a 0.5 second gap in India considering how we tail gate.  Assume a 1 second gap for a moment.  Cars will arrive at the toll plaza at 2 every second.  If they take 20 seconds to clear a car, they need  minimum of 10 toll booths just to keep things stable.  If they have anything less than that, massive queues will build up.  They will need good systems to direct cars to free lanes to balance things out.  I don't know how well they have thought through this.  Is there place at SB junction to build a 10 lane toll plaza?

Of course, they can end up having monthly passes and let cars out very quickly.  The toll plaza then is no longer the bottleneck.  Expect SB junction to be a MEGA MESS.  7 lanes of traffic = 2 elevated + 3 surface + 2 service roads all trying to merge into 2 or 3.  The speed of traffic will drop to a crawl.

Good luck.

Srivathsa

Read this in the TOI today.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bangalore/Hosur-Rd-expressway-could-shift-traffic-bottlenecks/articleshow/4307362.cms

So Rs.765 crores and almost 4 years on, this has dawned upon us. 

Srivathsa

We must complete this project to coincide with the completion of the elevated corridor,

Isnt it too late already?

MAYTAS is not in good shape anymore and that affecting the BETL cannot be over ruled..looking at the pics in the link below..it will take few more months to get this opened!

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=394998&page=12 

Agree with you sri totally..also adding a train would have done more than good!

Now its more like we have created a white elephant dud and are trying to manage it!

Travelled yesterday from Silkboard Jn to Bommanahalli..took a U turn back to silkboard..the BETL project may not actually open during Dussara!

There are still too many things to be done on the site!

Btw I did not see the toll plaza at all..this is very surprising!
Also there was nothing specific work on the road which indicated that they are planning for one either!

Was expecting atleast 4 lanes each way to be carved out at the entry and exit of the 2 lane BETL..!

Guys, any updates on this?

Btw it took me close to an hour to cover the 2Kms from and to the SB!

The bangalore mirror carried an update on BETL. Full article here

WILL OPEN IN NOV

You need to wait till November before driving on the elevated highway. The project was earlier scheduled to be open this week. A National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) official said, “We now expect the project to open in November first week. However, ground realities may push it to the middle of November.” The project was conceived in September 2004 while the ground work started in July 2006. It was supposed to be completed in July 2008. Initially, it was escalating costs of cement and steel that delayed the project, followed by recession and the Maytas scam. Now, incessant rainfall is playing spoilsport, according to officials.

Rs 776 CR PROJECT

The elevated road project is constructed on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis. According to the Bangalore Elevated Tollway Limited (BETL) website, the Rs 775.7 crore project is being executed through special purpose vehicle BETL, created by the joint venture partners involving Maytas Infra, Nagarjuna Construction Company (NCC) and Soma Enterprises (SEL).

SILK BOARD BOTTLENECK

Flyovers are always criticised as not a viable alternative as they are said to shift traffic from one junction to another. There are similar fears being expressed about the Hosur flyover as the Silk Board flyover could turn out to be a bottleneck. Traffic experts say that the vehicles can move smoothly from Hosur to Central Silk Board junction but may pile up thereafter as there are no free turns at the grade separator. They suggest clover leaf or semi clover leaf models for clearing traffic at Central Silk Board.

vinod

Like the traffic expert bit in Bangalore Mirror article says - "they suggest clover leaf or semi clover leaf models for clearing traffic at Central Silk Board." - the evening time problem might be fixable (as in create three separate pileups as opposed to a big one at SB flyover - one each at BTM 19th main, Madivala, and on the first HSR layout signal). But the morning backup at toll plaza could be a bigger headache.

Clearance time per vehicle at the toll plaza would be critical, and let us hope that BETL will go for wireless pre-paid tags based toll collection method from day one and not wait for a month of observation etc.

Actually - a statewide effort to have a single platform for wireless pre-paid toll tags should be a good investment right now. Sooner or later, we will have tolled state highways as well.

"Proposed toll Electronics City

2-wheeler: Rs 15
Autorickshaw: No entry"

Looks like the auto is going to be banned.  It begs the question how will they implement it.Since the toll is at electronics city end ,this may not be easy.

Also, I cannot recollect any other place in the city where auto is banned.I really doubt if it will make any difference to the traffic. The two wheelers are already being allowed ,so diverse traffic will anyways exist.

Any thoughts, anyone?

PS:   Although I  registered  long time back, this is my first post. Hope to contribute more.

The elevated expressway between Central Silk Board Junction and Electronic city is now almost ready and the promoters are trying to get Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to inaugurate it. The elevated highway is being promoted by Bangalore Elevated Tollway Limited (BETL) and was supposed to be completed by March 2009. The promoters are planning to charge Rs 10 for a two-wheeler, Rs 30 for a car and Rs 80 for a bus for using the highway once in any direction.

source: here

folks any idea how silkboard jn is handling? didnt quite hear anything in the papers. folks who use the road kindly share your experiences.