The State Government has dropped the proposal to widen the Bangalore-Mysore highway from the existing four-lane into a six-lane road after foreseeing the difficulties in land acquisition and the prohibitive costs.
More than five years ago, foreseeing the rise in traffic density, the Karnataka State Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) announced that it would upgrade the highway into a six-lane road.
“The proposal has been shelved in view of the likely difficulties arising out of land acquisition. There are vast stretches of fertile agriculture land along the route as well as commercial and residential properties. Their owners will not take to the idea of the authorities acquiring their land,” KRDCL Managing Director B.H. Anil Kumar told The Hindu .
However, the proposal assumes significance in the wake of Road Traffic Census report finding the stretch between Bangalore and Ramanagaram as the “busiest State highway in Karnataka”, accounting for no less than 68,654 passenger car units (PCUs). In contrast, the average PCUs on State Highways in Karnataka is 9,321.
A senior Public Works Department (PWD) official said that Indian Road Congress (IRC) guidelines stipulate a maximum carrying capacity of 15,000 PCUs in one direction for a two-lane highway. “Even though the recent Road Traffic Census has taken into account the traffic in both the directions (68,654 PCUs), the volume of traffic on the highway is far beyond the IRC guidelines,” the official said.
“If traffic on a two-lane highway exceeds 15,000 PCUs, the road should be widened lest it affects free flow, overtaking and safety,” he said.
Mr. Anil Kumar pointed out that the traffic volume on the highway thins progressively beyond Channapatna with the stretch between Srirangapatna and Mysore recording 39,869 PCUs. However, he ruled out the possibility of widening even the Bangalore-Ramanagaram stretch. “A large number of commercial establishments and residential layouts are there along this stretch. Land acquisition will not be easy,” he said.
