Bengaluru’s Satellite Town Ring Road On Track As Fresh Tenders Ignite Hopes

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has released tenders for five packages of the 280.8 km Bengaluru Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR, NH-948A) project, a major infrastructure development aimed at alleviating freight traffic and reducing congestion in the city.

The project, which is expected to cost Rs 17,000 crore, will connect various suburban areas around Bengaluru, including Dobbaspet, Doddaballapur, Devanahalli, and Hoskote, and extend to Hosur in Tamil Nadu. The STRR will act as a bypass for goods traffic, helping commercial vehicles and inter-state commuters avoid the city's core areas.

According to a report by Moneycontrol, the tenders were released on September 5 for five packages covering 144 km of the STRR's western section, with an estimated cost of Rs 4,750 crore. The project is expected to ease traffic congestion in Bengaluru and provide an alternative route to NICE Road for trucks traveling from Tamil Nadu to Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The first package includes the 46.30 km stretch from Obalapura (Nelamangala taluk) to Somakkanamutta (Magadi taluk), costing an estimated Rs 1,419 crore. The second package covers the 32.7 km stretch from Somakkanamutta to Kunigal (Ramanagara taluk), costing Rs 825.1 crore. The third package spans 33.64 km from Kunigal to Thattekere (Kanakapura taluk), with an estimated cost of Rs 978.9 crore.

The fourth package, from Thattekere to Bagganadoddi (Anekal taluk), is 8.34 km long and costs Rs 1,018.3 crore. It includes an elevated highway through Bannerghatta National Park, for which forest clearance is pending. NHAI officials have stated that noise barriers will be installed to mitigate wildlife disruption, and construction will occur before sunrise and after sunset to minimize environmental impact.

The fifth package covers the 23.27 km stretch from Bagganadoddi to S Mudugadapalli (Hosur taluk, Tamil Nadu), with an estimated cost of Rs 507.39 crore. Tenders for this package are expected to be finalized by the end of October.

The STRR project was proposed in 2005 and gained momentum in 2017 under the Bharatmala Pariyojana program. It was officially launched by Prime Minister Modi in June 2022 and operates under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). The project is expected to enhance connectivity to the proposed multi-modal logistics park at Dobbaspet and the upcoming Bengaluru-Pune greenfield expressway.

The project is expected to boost freight speed and traffic capacity, with an anticipated completion date of 2026-2027. It is designed for speeds of up to 100 kmph and aims to reduce travel time between Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) and destinations such as Mysuru and Kodagu.

NHAI officials overseeing the project have stated that it will provide an alternative route to NICE Road for trucks traveling from Tamil Nadu to Maharashtra and Gujarat, and reduce travel time significantly for travelers heading to KIA from Hosur and Mysuru.

The Bengaluru Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) project is scheduled for completion by December 2025. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the project was prepared by Louis Berger Group Inc. and KITKO (specifically for the Hosur-Sarjapur section). Land acquisition for the project began in 2018, requiring a total of 1009.8 hectares in Karnataka and 340 hectares in Tamil Nadu.

The STRR project is scheduled for completion by December 2025. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the project was prepared by Louis Berger Group Inc. and KITKO (specifically for the Hosur-Sarjapur section). Land acquisition for the project began in 2018, requiring a total of 1009.8 hectares in Karnataka and 340 hectares in Tamil Nadu.