Bangalore-Mysore highway to be upgraded

By S.Rajendran

BANGALORE, FEB. 21. The State Government has decided to upgrade the existing Bangalore-Mysore State Highway. The work on the project will commence in April and is expected to be completed by the end of next year. The road will be a state-of- the-art one and synthetic materials will be used for its construction.

The decision of the Government will ensure that the three proposed roads between the two cities were of standards prescribed by the Indian Roads Congress. The Union Government has approved the upgradation of the Bangalore-Coimbatore Road, via Kanakapura, Malavalli and Kollegal, into a National Highway. The work has already commenced. The work on the Bangalore-Mysore Expressway, to be undertaken by the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise of the Kalyani group is also proposed to be taken up shortly.

The Chief Minister, Mr. S.M. Krishna, and the Minister for Public Works, Mr. Dharam Singh, were said to be keen that the work on the State highway commenced immediately since the existing road has been in bad shape for years. The Karnataka Road Development Corporation has been assigned the work, and multinational companies have evinced interest in participating in the project.

The Bangalore-Mysore highway, originally a concrete road laid by the Maharaja of Mysore, has never been in good condition, despite being repaired at frequent intervals. The visibility on the road is less than 200 metres in certain stretches, resulting in a high incidence of major accidents.

The Managing Director of the Karnataka Road Development Corporation, Mr. L.V. Nagarajan, told The Hindu here on Wednesday that the Rs. 126-crore project would be completed in 18 months. Traffic on the existing road would be diverted for the purpose. The road, as per a study conducted recently, had a traffic equivalent to 18,000 passenger car units per day. The Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) would finance the project. No toll would be collected from motorists on its completion.

The State Government had short-listed 27 contractors based on certain conditions, and of them, three would be assigned the work in three packages, which included the construction of 70 culverts and 36 minor bridges. The contractors would also have to ensure geometric corrections of the blind curves on the road, most of which were on the 50 km. Bangalore-Ramanagaram stretch, he said. There were also plenty of gradients resulting in poor visibility. Firms from Malaysia, Indonesia and Spain had evinced interest in the project. So had Larsen and Toubro.

Mr. Nagarajan said the road would have a width of 10 metres. The road shoulders would be improved and stormwater drains would be constructed. For the first time, geo-synthetic and geo-composite materials would be used along with bitumen to ensure that the road did not develop cracks.

The Government, respecting the sentiments of the people, had decided against cutting down nearly 200 trees, a number of which were planted by the Mysore royal family, for the work. The trees had been planted in such a manner that they cannot even form part of the road median. There were 45 major curves on the existing road.

Mr. Nagarajan said the road would last for 10 years, and the contractors would be responsible to repair the faults in construction for three years. Penalty and bonus clauses would also be introduced in the agreement, with the contractors receiving Rs. 30,000 per day for early completion of work. The penalty for delay in its completion would be stiff.

Stretches of the road would have guard-rails to prevent people coming on to it at certain crowded points. Bus bays would be constructed at 25 places to ensure smooth traffic, and the median and yellow line markings on the edge would help motorists drive safely at night, Mr. Nagarajan said.

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