Rs 36,000 cr proj to ease B'lore's traffic

Bangalore, May 2: A massive Rs 36,000 crore project will be taken up by the Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority to ease traffic congestion and improve infrastructural facilities in and around the hi-tech city.

Informing this to mediapersons here today, Chief Minister H D Kumaaraswamy said the project, involving construction of two arterial ring roads and development of five townships, would be completed within three years. It would be funded by the Centre and tbe State government, besides private parties.

While Rs 6000 crore would be spent on arterial ring roads and radial roads, Rs 30,000 crore would be spent on townships coming up at Hoskote, Ramanagaram, Magadi and Kanakapura.

Mr Kumaraswamy said the ring roads, covering nearly 400 km, would be a high speed corridor with adequate traffic and road safety provisions. These roads would not only avoid highway traffic coming into the city, but also open up new areas for economic growth.

A 262 km stretch of radial roads would also be improved.

He said the state had already approached the Centre for funding under the National Highways Development Programme. The projects would also attract Foreign Direct Investments. The townships would also have independent airstrips and helipads to cater to limited domestic air traffic needs, he added.

Metropolitan Commissioner Sudhir Krishna, who gave a presentation to the media on the project, said the work was expected to commence before the end of this year.

UNI