Metro Reach 1 to get facelift by 2013

The 7-km Metro Reach 1 stretch from M G Road to Byappanahalli may get a facelift by March 2013.   According to the detailed project report (DPR) prepared by the Bangalore City Connect Foundation, the 64-crore project will be jointly taken up on a 50-50 partnership basis by the BBMP and the BMRCL.

Exclusive insights into the DPR bears resemblance to an international road equipped with facilities, with the pedestrian ease as the forepoint.

The plan accommodates a footpath, white topped travel lane for vehicles, provisions for underground ducts and a bicycle track.

V Ravichandar of Bangalore City Connect Foundation (BCCF) explained, “The formal handing over of the DPR will take place next week after. The DPR contains Right of Way (RoW) for the whole stretch, which includes footpaths, bicycle tracks, travel lanes for vehicles, lights and signs above ground. Underground utilities like water, sewage, electricity lines, Optical Fibre Cables (OFC) and telephone cables are covered. Interestingly, our DPR covers underground works that would be conducted through cross ducts across roads, so that roads are not damaged.”

As far as BBMP’s contribution is concerned, they claim that they have already received a sanction of `50 crore for white topping projects in last year’s budget. “Once the DPR is received, it will take us about nine months to complete the project. Government approval will first be sought. Later, it will take us 60 days for tender processing and the execution of the project will take six months. We will finalise the DPR soon,” said S Somashekhar, chief engineer (Major Roads Special Project), BBMP. 

The foundation that had earlier prepared the design for Vittal Mallya Road, is preparing the design free of cost as a service to the society, and is funded by major industry leaders like Biocon, Infosys, Wipro, Velankani Group, Bosch software, Titan among others.

But, with the project execution taking six months, the traffic will take a beating. “We have had many discussions and we are ready to facilitate the process. We will work on diversions for all the areas falling on the Reach 1 stretch,” said M A Saleem, ACP (Traffic).

“We are aiming at good pedestrian walkways. The project is designed keeping pedestrians in mind. In many places, travel lanes expand in one place and shrink in the other. We want to provide uniform travel lanes,” Ravichandar added.