BIAL Connectivity Updates December 2007

Updates on the proposed high speed rail, the proposed expressway and improvements to existing NH7 to BIAL.

High Speed Rail To BIAL
Sridharan meets Governor
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Chief E Sreedharan made a presentation on the Detailed Project Report of the high speed rail link to Devanahalli to Governor  on Saturday, Dec 15, 2007.

The presentation included the need to float a Special Purpose Vehicle, the time schedule, and various other aspects of the Rs 3900 crore project.
The DMRC suggested that the project be taken up on a priority basis at the earliest to offer speedy connectivity to the Devanahalli airport. Sreedharan told Deccan Herald  that the governor was satisfied with the presentation. “The government has given a positive response. It is now for them to implement the project,” he added.  The governor is also keen to begin the project as early as possible. TOI reports that "the governor is said to have promised to take action in the next couple of days."

NH7 To BIAL
TNN Dec 14 & 15

PWD PWD has requested NHAI to gear up the NH 7 to take the airport traffic by constructing more underpasses, interchanges and ROBs. Police The police are looking at identifying civic agencies to construct underpasses throughout the stretch to the upcoming airport. Technically, it takes about 35 minutes to travel from Hebbal flyover to the Devanahalli airport intersection without traffic hindrances. On Friday, additional commissioner of police K C Ramamurthy and his team visited the route to figure out where traffic signals are needed. The police have also identified sectors which need to be barricaded for pedestrian safety and smooth flow of traffic. Palike Meanwhile the palike is tackling the North Corridor, from Minsk Square to Hebbal Flyover. Seven junctions-Windsor Manor Bridge, BDA junction, Cauvery junction, CBI junction, Sanjaynagar junction apart from Maharani's College and KR Circle will be signal-free by March. BBMP commissioner S Subramanya said that work will begin on December 15 and a traffic plan is being prepared so that traffic will be least affected. "We are working day and night to make service roads so that traffic can be divided. Only near Balabroohi, since the road has to be completely excavated due to a dense network of water lines, the traffic will be diverted. But we will not close the road at any point of time and by March the stretch between Bala Broohi to Hebbal Flyover will be completely signal-free," he said. Here is the plan for the junctions along the Hebbal Main Road:

Windsor Manor Bridge: The BBMP will widen the existing road into a six-lane road with land that has already been taken over from the golf club. Two pre-cast elements will be placed in the middle of the circle to allow vehicles to take a right turn towards Hotel Ashoka, and those coming from Anugraha to come onto to Hebbal Main Road and take a left or right turn. As the lanes will be increased, options to get into Windsor Manor and change lanes to move towards Hebbal or the city are being made. The cost of the project is estimated at Rs 1 crore. It will take seven days to complete it. BDA Junction: Though this is a relatively simpler plan, two long up and down ramps will be made on the Hebbal Main Road. Two box underpasses will allow vehicles to move from Banglore Palace towards Malleswaram, and those coming from Cauvery junction to take a right turn towards Malleshwaram. As the ramps will need embankments, it is estimated that this project will take more time. The cost is estimated at Rs 2.5 crore and will take approximately 45 days to complete. Cauvery Junction: At this junction, vehicles moving towards Hebbal will have to take a left turn towards Bhashyam Circle and then take a 'U' turn after moving 50 meters to join the Hebbal Road. A box will be introduced to take a 'U' turn and another one at the junction, will allow vehicles from Bhashyam Circle to join Hebbal Road and move towards the city. CBI Junction & Sanjaynagar Junction: At both these junctions, underpasses will be erected at the middle of the road below the surface level.

Expressway To BIAL
The 21.2 km expressway which went through random re-alignments before the alignment was arbitrarily frozen has raised a lot of shackles amongst the people. ToI Dec 14th 2007 quotes a senior PWD official: "The Rs 1,000 crore project is finally taking shape. We have finalised the route and issued a preliminary notification. We are finalising the consultants and after that, the tendering process will begin. We are hopeful that the project should be completed over 20 months".

According to ToI, the PWD has also written to the centre for availing viability gap funding for acquiring land for the project but is yet to get any reply.  Putting apprehensions to rest over the very formation of the expressway the government has notified the project, which entails a 21.2 km six-lane tolled road. After a year of conceiving the project, the government through a special gazette dated August 8, notified the project and the boundary for the entire alignment. The Karnataka Road Development Corporation, which is the project implementing authority, has called for a global tender to construct the tolled road on a BOT basis.

However another ToI report says:  A decision to hand over the project to the National Highways Authority of India to speed it up was taken by BMRDA, PWD and BBMP officials at a review meeting on Friday. The state government will send a request to the Union government to fund the project entirely by entrusting it to NHAI. Earlier, the Union government was asked to fund for the project in the form of viability gap funding. “Objections to the alignment have been invited. A major objection filed by property owners is to denotify their properties. Public properties have to be acquired for the project. The applications are being scrutinised,” officials told The Times of India. Another request to the Centre will be to develop one of the ring roads — STRR, IRR, PRR and to realign, develop NH 207 to connect Bantwal in Mangalore to Tamil Nadu via Kolar which would act as an East-West corridor of the state.