BENGALURU: After almost a year's delay, the decks are now clear for the launch of the multi-crore project to upgrade several major city roads into high-density travel corridors, though a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) official said work on the project is likely to begin only after the assembly elections.

With BBMP obtaining administrative approval for the big-ticket project, tenders are now set to be floated for upgrading at least 12 major Bengaluru roads to global standards at an estimated cost of Rs 227 crore.

All the corridors will have a uniform main carriageway, along with dedicated cycle tracks and bus lanes. The project is scheduled to be completed in 11 months.

Cost scaled down

Following a bitter controversy over inflated project costs initially, the government had directed Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) to hand over the project to BBMP for implementation. While the project cost was initially pegged at a whopping Rs 1,116 crore, KRDCL engineers, following a rap from chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, had scaled it down to Rs 594 crore.

Now, BBMP is set to execute the same project for Rs 227 crore - at 20% of the original estimate. Confirming the rolling out of the project, HN Jayasimha, executive engineer, Road Infrastructure (TEC), BBMP, told TOI that the project will comprise three different packages.

"All three packages will be completed in 11 months. The development of High-Density Corridors, along with the CM's budget announcement of development of 75 junctions, will give a major facelift to Bengaluru's road infrastructure," Jayasimha explained.

The Invitation for Tender (IFT) documents, a copy of which was accessed by TOI, revealed details about all three packages of the project (see graphic).

Package 1, to be built at a cost of Rs 74 crore, comprises the Ballari (KIA Road) Road stretch from Chalukya Circle to Hebbal and the ORR stretch from Goraguntepalya Junction to KR Puram.

Package 2, to be built at a cost of Rs 73 crore, will cover the Old Madras Road corridor from Trinity Circle to OMR Benniganahalli and KR Puram to NH-648 via Hoodi, ITPL, Hope Farm Junction and KR Puram railway station to Medahalli Junction (NH-75). "The second package will also include the Old Airport Road corridor from ASC Centre to Kadugodi via Domlur, Marathahalli, Kundalahalli, Varthur and Hope Farm," a BBMP official said.

In Package 3, several roads in the eastern, southern and western parts of Bengaluru will be covered at a cost of Rs 80 crore. "The third package will cover Hosur Road, Kanakapura Road, Magadi Road, Mysuru Road and Tumakuru Road corridors," another engineer said.