T he State Government wants the State Highway between Bangalore and Mysore to get reclassified as national highway.
The move comes in the backdrop of the continuing uncertainty over the fate of the 111-km Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) Expressway, which is embroiled in legal and political controversies.
The State has recommended to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to upgrade the State Highway No 17 between the two cities into a national highway, said Public Works Minister H.C. Mahadevappa.
“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and I have held two rounds of talks with the Union government. Once, the State Highway becomes a national highway, we can take up widening of the road initially into a six-lane and eventually into an eight-lane highway,” he said.
Meanwhile, the PWD is preparing detailed project reports for the construction of flyovers over towns en route .
With Dasara festivities round the corner, traffic is expected to skyrocket.
Mr. Mahadevappa said that commuters should actively consider travelling on National Highway 209 linking Bangalore and Mysore via Kanakapura, Malavalli and Bannur, which is about 15-km longer.
