Expressway to BIA scrapped by govt

Bengaluru Jan. 6: The 25 kilometer Expressway to the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) has been scrapped. The Rs1,000 crore project has been scrapped after five years of its announcement.

The project envisaged a 160-km speed super highway from the Outer Ring Road to BIA. This would cut short the journey to the airport by more than 45 minutes. The project, to be handled by Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA), has changed hands several times to be given to the public works department (PWD) and then to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

Now all the three agencies are passing the buck and says they no nothing about the project. It can be recalled here that the project was first proposed in 1998 when the state was making preparations for the BIA. Subsequent govts ignored the project for over seven years. When the concession agreement was being finalised, the project was given a fresh lease of life and BMRDA was asked to implement it with the help of Karnataka Road Development Corporation (KRDCL).

KRDCL, after conducting a detailed study, issued a preliminary notification in 2006 which saw massive protests from residents and villagers all along the alignment. After allegations of mishandling the project by KRDCL, it was handed over to PWD. After a delay of over a year, the state infrastructure department announced that NHAI will take up the project on a BOT basis for which the Centre will give viability gap funding.

Even the state govt did not show any interest in this regard and thus the project was scrapped. Hence the only way for passengers going to BIA is through Bellary Road.

OneIndia News (With inputs from Agencies)