Recently, while passing through Kundalahalli gate, I noticed that some shops had suddenly sprung up on an empty plot. Going by what I understand of BBMP bylaws, the construction does seem illegal. These shops are literally standing on the footpath, and bang on a major intersection. Of course, there is no place to park bikes or cars here. So once they start doing business, customers' vehicles could block some serious traffic (intersection of Varthur Road and Brookfield main road leading to ITPL).

We have all been screaming on the subject for a while now. But this business-standard update on BIAL expressway is interesting, because it talks dates:

... sources said many powerful politicians also owned land along the alignment ... and wanted it changed ... “We changed the alignment five times unofficially before freezing it. But they are still not satisfied. If the land acquisition process is completed by July, the expressway will be ready by March 2009 but that appears improbable. As things stand, the expressway will not be ready even by 2009-end,” a source said.

So it is action time for another round of upgrade to Bangalore Mysore state highway. As per this KRDCL tender, the work is worth 795 crores, and:

"The work includes Construction of Service roads all along the existing 4-laned Bangalore-Mysore Road Excluding Town Limits of Kengeri, Bidadi, Ramanagara, Channapatna, Maddur, Mandya and Srirangapatna where bypasses are proposed to be constructed as part of the scope. Also the work includes widening of the 4-laned road to 6-lane from chainage 11.60 Km to 33.00 Km."