Widening of roads between Baiyappanahalli and Whitefield to facilitate the construction of the 15.5-km long Namma Metro line is set to start by the end of September, say officials.
Widening this stretch was a major demand by Whitefield residents, who were terrified at the thought of roads being dug up for metro work without being widened. It takes 1.5 to 2 hours for an 8-km journey that should take no more than 25 minutes, according to residents who said there was no question of allowing the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. to start work without providing an alternative road.
“We have opened technical bids and will be opening financial bids in a week. After that, the letter of intent will be issued. The entire process should take about a month,” a senior BMRCL official said. Land acquisition for the road widening has been completed and compensation is being paid, the official added.
The roads will be widened by around four metres on both sides to replace the land that the Namma Metro project will take over at the median.
The line of Phase-II Namma Metro, which is one of the largest in this phase, is most likely to be completed last as the work will begin only once the roads are widened. “We will replace whatever land we have taken. This was the deal with the traffic police as well as the residents,” the official said.
With 14 stations planned on the stretch, the widening will pass through Jyothipuram, K.R. Puram, Narayanapura, Mahadevpura, Garudacharpalya, Doddanekkundi, Visvesvaraya Industrial Estate, Kundanahalli, Vaidehi Hospital, Satyasai Medical institute, ITPL, Kadugodi, Ujwala Vidyalaya, and Whitefield.
Getting out of Whitefield to other places for work is a nightmare. It has become such a big issue that people consider their daily commute time as a major factor before deciding where they will work
Arvind M.A.,a resident
Metro Corridor
Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield
Length: 15.5. km
Total stations: 14
