Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara on Thursday announced that the government would go ahead with the elevated corridor project. The Deputy CM has also directed the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for the first phase of the project – a flyover between Esteem Mall to Chalukya Circle.
The KRDCL, which held a meeting on Friday, has decided to form an expert committee to see whether the project is feasible. The KRDCL has also decided that the elevated corridor would begin at Esteem Mall in Hebbal, pass through Mekhri Circle, Jayamahal and ultimately end at Silk Board. “We decided that extending the stretch from Mekhri Circle to Basaveshwara Road is ideal and hence, we will have to prepare a new DPR,” a KRDCL official said.
Earlier in 2017, the state government had put together a detailed project report for the steel flyover project, which extended from Esteem Mall in Hebbal to Jayamahal. The new elevated corridor will be an extension of this preliminary proposal.
“The main purpose is to solve the traffic jams at Mekhri Circle and Ballari Road. In addition, this flyover will act as a signal-free corridor from the centre of the city to the airport. It's not a difficulty to get to the airport from Esteem Mall. The biggest problem is getting stuck along Ballari Road,” the official said.
The state government aims at providing easy access to VIP vehicles travelling from Raj Bhavan and Vidhana Soudha to the airport via this elevated corridor, the official added.
In addition, the KRDCL has also requested Deputy CM Parameshwara to resolve the issue of flyover construction projects overlapping with the elevated corridor. “The BDA has proposed the construction of a flyover where the elevated corridor is to come up. In addition, the BDA has also proposed the construction of a flyover between Baptist Hospital to Esteem Mall in Hebbal. Since this is just a 2 km stretch, we have requested the Deputy CM to ensure that such an overlap does not happen and that KRDCL is the only agency handling the project,” the official added.
The KRDCL has suggested the formation of an expert committee, which will look into the feasibility of the route proposed by KRDCL.
“We are proposing a concrete flyover between Mekhri Circle and Basaveshwara Road. Besides, from Windsor Manor Hotel to Guttahalli Road, there is an underpass. In addition, this area also had a railway bridge and there are several buildings in the extremities of the road. The expert committee will have to look at whether the proposed route will be feasible, how much land needs to be acquired and whether land acquisition is possible. Once expert committee prepares the report, it will be easy to create a DPR,” the official added.