Centre to take up 250-km ring road project around Bangalore

BANGALORE: Responding positively to Karnataka's request, the Centre today decided to take up a 250 -km ring road project around this city to ease traffic congestion.

"I have ordered to compile a detailed project report on the project to be executed on a build-operate-transfer basis at a cost of Rs 2,500 crore," Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T R Baalu told reporters here after a meeting with Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and officials from the state government and National Highways Authority of India.

The Karnataka government has been asked to make available land as early as possible to enable the Union ministry to seek the Union cabinet's approval for the project, Baalu said.

As roads in Bangalore have been saturated, there was no option other than taking up Metro planning by the state government to ease traffic congestion, he suggested.

Baalu said he has consented to a demand by the state for providing certain facilities like service roads and overpasses and underpasses on the road linking the new Bangalore international airport and the Union road transport ministry will prepare a project report soon.

He made it clear that work on roads linking the airport was unlikely to take off at an early date as this needed some time to complete required formalities.

The first ever greenfield airport coming up as a joint venture at Devanahally will become operational in April next year. Karnataka has plans to have a dedicated six-lane road from the city to the airport.