The Hindu             26.06.2013

Six roads to get wider, five more to be signal free

Minister says no fresh land acquisition is required

In a bid to ensure smooth traffic flow, the State government has decided to widen six prominent roads in the city.

This includes the stretch between Mehkri Circle and Windsor Manor junction, from Benniganahalli to Mahadevpura, Dairy Circle to Sagar Apollo, and Silk Board junction to near Jayadeva Hospital (till 29th Main Road of BTM Layout).

Speaking to presspersons here on Tuesday, city in-charge Minister Ramalinga Reddy said the government had accepted a proposal in this regard from the traffic police, at a meeting of heads of various civic agencies on Monday.

At the meeting, it was also decided to widen Nagawara junction and the Hebbal flyover, as this narrow stretch had become a traffic bottleneck. However, it was up to the authorities concerned to decide whether to build a separate structure next to the flyover or widen the existing one, he said.

‘Two to four months’

According to the Minister, no fresh land acquisition is required for any of these road-widening proposals. “The required land has either already been acquired or there is sufficient government land,” he said.

He expressed confidence that the projects would be completed in two to four months, except for the Hebbal flyover, which would take more time.

Signal-free corridors

Mr. Reddy said there were also plans to develop five signal-free corridors, at a cost of Rs. 618 crore. These are: Dr. Rajkumar Road (Yeshwanthpur Circle to Okalipuram Road), Hosur Road (Central Silk Board to Vellara junction); Outer Ring Road (Mysore Road junction to Central Silk Board); Old Airport Road (Vellara junction to Kundalahalli via Whitefield), and Mehkri Circle to Hope Farm via Old Madras Road.

The proposal was before the Cabinet, he said.

Road improvement work would also be taken up near Vidhana Soudha. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. had been told to expedite the work near its project area, he added.

Second bicycle track

Mr. Reddy said he had asked officials to prepare a proposal for setting up the city’s second bicycle track in Madiwala. The State would match the Centre’s grant of Rs. 4.5 crore.

When his attention was drawn to the sorry state of the bicycle track in Jayanagar, which is being used as parking space, he said steps would be taken to free the track for cyclists.