Project to pick up pace after Sankranti; roadside hotels, buildings to be demolished

Bengaluru : Works on the project to construct an eight-lane National Highway (NH) between Mysuru and Bengaluru has begun on a war footing. In all, it will be a 10-lane Highway with four lanes and two service roads on either side. The total estimate of the project is Rs. 6,500 crore, including land acquisition costs.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) — the agency executing it, will build roads between the two cities and the new roads will be in addition to the existing lanes. The project is likely to take 2.5 years to complete. The scope of the work also includes construction of nine major bridges, 44 minor bridges, and four Road Over Bridges.

The road works have begun from the outskirts of Bengaluru near the Vokkaliga Mahasamsthana on both sides of the road and workers, accompanied by surveyors, are engaged in digging and widening of the existing highway. The works have begun on a full swing here as the land acquisition process has been completed.

Traffic density has increased the duration of travel between Bengaluru and Mysuru. Once the highway project is completed, the commute time between the two cities is expected to reduce significantly. The NHAI has acquired many lands adjoining the roads including three acres of Puneeth Farms owned by Dr. Rajkumar family and also several properties owned by industries. The news will bring cheer to thousands of commuters as the project has been inordinately delayed.

To speed the work, the project has been divided into two packages: Bengaluru-Nidaghatta and Nidaghatta to Mysuru.

The Union Government had declared the earlier State Highway 17 and State Highway 88 as new National Highway No. 275 in 2014. Since then, there has been talk of widening. The widening project will be from Panchamukhi Temple after Kengeri town (existing km 18.00) and ends at Columbia Asia Hospital junction on the Mysuru Ring Road at existing km 135.100.

NHAI authorities said that works are being undertaken till late in the night and it will pick up pace after Sankranti. Many roadside restaurants will be demolished in the coming days.