Part of Golden Quadilateral to be completed soon

Mysore, June 16: Union Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Minister K H Muniyappa today announced that under the multicrore Golden Quadrilateral project, development of 14,000 kms of National Highways (NH) was expected to be completed by this year-end.

Addressing newspersons here, he said the Golden Quadrilateral of National Highways Development Project, envisaging four-laning and six-laning of 67,000 km of national highways to connect the four metros, would be be taken up in seven phases, covering different types of schemes, at a cost of Rs 2.06 lakh crore.

He said about 50,000 km of national highways would be developed by 2012 year. The project, to taken up on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis, also included a 1,000 km expressway on which vehicles would move at a minimum of speed of 120 to 150 km.

Asked to comment on the controversy over the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project in the state, Mr Muniyappa said the Centre was in no way connected to the project. The problem was between the state government and the project promoters. Steps should be taken to resolve the issue amicably in the interest of the state's development, he added.

Mr Muniyappa said under the National Highways Development Programme phase three (A) in the state, 457 km had been covered and there were plans take up development on BOT basis. Preparation of development project report for these stretches were at defferent stages. Apart from this, four-laning and six-laning of another 194 km between Bijapur and Hospet and upgradation of NH-63 between Bellary-Hospet was being considered by the Ministry.

He said the ministry was also taking up development of other NHs in the state and towards this there was plan to construct bypass around Hubli, Tumkur, Kanakapura, Mangalore and Moodabidre. There was also plans to develop outer ring roads around Bangalore, he added.

Mr Muniyappa said the government proposed to construct a bridge on NH 212 across river Kabini. On NH 67, connecting Mysore and Udhagamandalam, 20 km falling under Karnataka would be widened and the remaining would be improved on periodical basis.

To reduce accidents, the Ministry was planning to purchase an interceptor with speedgun and breath analyser and it would be handed over the Mysore city police soon, he said.

The engineering team of the Highway and Transport Ministry visited various NHs in and around the Mysore city as well as the district.

UNI