Budget bumper for north Bangalore

Hebbal flyover work at standstill

Three cheers to the Karnataka budget! Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has announced that the state budget will fund the construction of the additional loop on the existing Hebbal clover-leaf flyover and promised Metro services for this part of town.

This announcement is a huge relief for residents and office-goers in north Bangalore.

The Rs 88 crore Hebbal flyover loop, planned and conceived by the Bangalore Development Authority was abandoned by the cash-strapped agency and the BBMP had refused to take it up.

A poll was also run by North Bangalore Post on both Facebook and Twitter on people’s expectations from the budget.

North Bangalore Twitter followers were asked to tick what they thought should be the Karnataka government’s priority. Out of four choices, an overwhelming 49% ticked Metro, 29% Suburban Rail, 18% prioritized Pedestrian safety and the Steel bridge by just 4% of respondents.

On Facebook, the poll asked residents the same question and 87% voted on the need for a Metro.

North Bangalorepost Budget Polls

The additional loop on the Hebbal flyover was to have been completed by April 2019. It now has a new deadline of December 2019. It also includes the construction of an underpass below the flyover to take traffic seamlessly from Manyata Tech Park side towards Tumkur road.

Work is expected to speed up in April and hopefully be completed by the end of the year, a representative connected with the company undertaking the work said.

North Bangalore has more reason to cheer as Namma Metro will chug into the city’s fastest developing area in the next couple of years. The budget has set aside Rs 16,579 crore for the Airport line which will start at Silk Board and go through KR Puram, Hebbal and onto KIA Airport via the Outer Ring Road.

New Bride for the city

The state budget has approved the long pending Suburban Rail Services for Bangalore at an estimated cost of Rs 23,093 crore. For this, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) called Bengaluru Rail Infrastructure Development Entity (B-RIDE) has been proposed under State and Central Government partnership.

A feasibility study for designing a Multi-Modal Transport Hub at Hebbal, Byappanahalli, KR Puram, Kadugodi, Challaghatta and Peenya will also be undertaken.

Development of necessary infrastructure for Inter-Modal Integration design in Bengaluru Metro, Rail and TTMC strategically located at Yeshwanthpur, Banashankari, Vijayanagar, Peenya is on the anvil.

Other budget highlights for Bangalore

§  Grant of Rs 1,000 crore to construct elevated corridors in the year 2019-20.

§  Converting 5 lakh street lights into LED.

§  Enacting “Parking Rules and Implementation Policy” to enable parking of 10,000 vehicles on 87 select roads with smart parking systems.

§  A new underpass at Goraguntepalya and KR Puram to ease traffic flow on the Outer Ring Road.

§  A common Commuters’ card for Metro and BMTC services.

§  Converting 3 coach Metro rakes into 6 coaches by purchasing 50 sets.

§  E-charging facilities for two-wheeler and other electric vehicles in selected 10 Metro stations.

§  BMTC Midi buses to run from 10 select Metro stations to improve last-mile connectivity.

§  Skywalk to connect Yeshwanthapur railway and Metro stations.

§  Construction of Peripheral Ring Road with an estimated cost of Rs 17,200 crore that will pass through north Bangalore.