Bangalore
is one of the fastest growing cities in Asia and one of the most
sought after cities in India by people, companies, multinationals
and tourists. The massive growth that the city has witnessed in
the last decade is a clear indication of this city being developed
to be on par with the most modern cities of the world. The population
of Bangalore has grown enormosly on account of migration of people
from all corners of India, neighbouring countries and from countries
in the West. This has indeed reduced the local population to around
38% of the total population. This also indicates the big heart
of the Bangaloreans who have welcomed everyone to this Paradise.
Along
with the population the city has also seen great improvements
to its roads, highways and other infrastructure. Several flyovers
have come into existence in the last 5 years easing the traffic
and making travel more easier. While there is still a lot to be
done with regard to "deadly' traffic, the Government has
indeed been working at a great speed to bring Bangalore on par
with the great cities of the world. If things move in the right
direction, Bangalore 2010 will be truly a city of the future where
everyone wants to live. And life will be more comfortable,
at least in terms of transport. But if infrastructure projects
continue to become victims of political bickering, the Silicon
City is sure to be more chaotic.
Metro
Rail, the international airport at Devanhalli, four-laning of
Bangalore-Mysore Road, Bangalore-Mysore Express Corridor, improvement
in BMTC services, more flyovers and underpasses are expected to
make travelling both within the city and from outside more comfortable.
The
services and entertainment sectors are also developing rapidly.
There is now a greater thrust towards developing world-class properties.
Sanjay Khan’s Hilton-managed Golden Palms Resort & Spa
has opened, as has the Prestige Group’s Angsana Oasis Spa
and Resort in the suburbs of Bangalore.
Clearly,
real estate is a critical aspect of much of the growth. There
are opportunities galore for entrepreneurs - the symbiotic existence
of real estate developers and business people has seen Bangalore
develop into one of Asia’s fastest growing cities. The urban
landscape is changing rapidly, but when business is good.
If
its happening............it's happening here in Bangalore.
Bangalore
Infrastructure has been a Hot button issue for the last six months
to One year. Read what out visitors have to say to improve Bangalore
Infrastructure. CLICK
HERE.
Infrastructure
Projects in Progress
Over
the next couple of months some of the Infrastructure Projects
will get finishing touches and expected to be operational by Novemebr
2008 to February 2008. Among them are:
Railway
Underbridges at the following places - Cantonment, Frazer Town,
Yeshwanthpur and Wheelers Road.
Railway
Overbridge at Mathikere and Marthahalli.
Flyover
at Gali Anjaneya Temple in Mysore Road.
Grade
Separator at Malleshwaram
Upcoming
Projects: Some of the major infrastructural
projects that are planned for the city are:
Bangalore
Metro Rail Project
Seven years after Bangalore got on the road to becoming India’s
knowledge capital, the city authorities finally seem to be getting
their act together in improving the public transport system through
an ambitious Metro Rail project at an estimated cost of Rs 6,395
crore. After years of delay the Bangalore Metro Rail project is
finally set to take off with the Centre giving the go ahead signal
to the Rs 6,395 crore venture.
Bangalore
Mass Rapid Transit Limited (BMRTL) Managing Director says that
the first train under the project would run from October 2008,
though the completion of all works under the first phase covering
a stretch of 33 km would take five years. which would crisscross
north-south and east-west parts of the City. Underground track
facility would be provided near Majestic area.
The
Metro is expected to carry 40,000 passengers an hour in each direction.
Initially, there will be a service once in four minutes in each
direction. Each train will carry 2,068 commuters. Bangalore Metro
Rail Corporation officials say that when fully operational, the
partly underground system can transport 8.2 lakh passengers every
day. With stations located almost every five minutes and with
barely 3 km between each, getting from place to place will be
easy. And with no parking hassles either.
Sources
say that a comprehensive survey has been commissioned to see how
feeder circuits and alternative modes of transport can be integrated
with the Metro network. Other modes of transport such as monorail,
trolley buses, commuter service rail or suburban railway can be
integrated.
The
proposed Metro will have two tracks: an 18.1-km stretch from Mysore
Road to Byappanahalli, and an 18.4-km stretch from Yeshwantpur
to R.V. Road, both via the Kempegowda bus terminus.
The
civil works on "Reach - 1" that connected Chinnaswamy
Cricket Stadium and Byyappanahalli through M.G. Road, Trinity
Circle, Ulsoor, CMH Road, Indiranagar and Old Madras Road would
be completed in 27 months.
The
metro rail would operate on this stretch from March 2010, The
"Reach - 1" will have six stations: near Plaza cinema
on M.G. Road, Trinity Circle, Police Officers' Residential Quarters
near Ulsoor, near Arya Samaj on CMH Road and near Isolation Hospital
on Old Madras Road and the main station at Byyappanahalli.
The
work on the first phase of the project would be completed by December
2011. The first phase would have an underground stretch of 6.76
km near the City Railway Station, Vidhana Soudha, Majestic and
City Market.
The
total stretch of the proposed metro rail network in the first
phase would increase from 33 km to nearly 40 km with the decision
to extend the route from Yeshwanthpur to Hessarghatta in "Reach
- 5" of the first phase.
The
following is the proposed route for the Metro Rail from East to
West: Click here for a Bangalore
Metro Route Map
Along
old Madras Road up to junction of 100-ft Road, Indiranagar
100ft road to BM Sri Circle
BM Sri Circle along CMH Road up to Aanjanappa Circle
Aanjanappa Circle (Ulsoor) along SV Road up to Trinity Circle
Trinity Circle to Mayo Hall
Mayo Hall-Cubbon Park along Bal Bhavan Road
Dr Ambedkar Road (from MS Building up to KR Circle) along District
Office Road-Post Office Road
Majestic Circle near SBM-KG Road
KARTC bus stand-below railway station
Magadi road up to Leprosy Hospital
From Leprosy Hospital along Magadi Road up to Tollgate (junction
of Chord Road)
Along Chord Road up to Mysore Road
Along Mysore Road up to Nayandahalli
The
Metro Rail plan with North-South and East-West corridors covering
close to 37 km has underground stretches of 6.8 km with the rest
either elevated or on road surface level. The underground portion
is mostly below Mahatma Gandhi Road and Cubbon Park. From Mayo
Hall to Leprosy Hospital, the route would be covered Underground
while the balance route would be Elevated or Ground level.
The
proposed Elevated/Underground route from North to South is :
From
Yeshwanthpur along Tumkur Road up to Soap Factory
From Soap Factory Circle along West of Chord Road up to Modi Hospital
Road Junction
Along Mahakavi Kuvempu Road up to Railway Bridge at Malleswaram;Runs
parallel to railway track up to Swastik
From Swastik (Opposite Stadium) along Platform Road
KSRTC bus stand-below East-West Corridor
Below Balepet-Nagarthpet-Arcot Srinivasachar street
Below Vanivilas Hospital and become elevated at Bangalore Medical
College
KR Road (Near BMC) up to Vanivilas Circle
Along VV Road up to Lalbagh West Gate
From West Gate along RV Road up to dead-end of RV Road
In
the above, the route from Swastik to Bangalore Medical College
would be underground while the other route would be Elevated route.
The
north-south corridor between Peenya and J.P. Nagar and the east-west
corridor from Byapannahalli to Mysore Road will intersect at the
metro interchange-terminal to come up between the Bangalore City
Railway Station and the Kempegowda Bus Station. Office-goers can
change over to another destination there with the waiting time
being less than 10 minutes.
What
the metro will do is reduce the travel time by at least half for
most commuters. Being on dedicated tracks means no traffic signals
or snarls at intersections to make travel longer and tedious as
on the roads. Despite flyovers and underpasses, travelling on
the city roads has not become any faster because of the sheer
volume of vehicles — 22 lakhs at the last count.
The
government also announced that instead of two Metro stations on
the 100 Feet Road-CMH Road stretch, there will only be one common
station. These two roads will also be widened by reducing the
footpath width, in order to deal with potential traffic problems.
Rehabilitation allowance, or “hardship allowance” for
affected inhabitants of CMH Road and all other property losers,
has also been planned at a cost of Rs 30 crore.
M
G Road station
Among
other decisions taken on the Metro project, it was decided to
limit the area acquired for the station on M G Road to 1,533 sq
metres, through acquisition of the Plaza theatre building. Stations
will be redesigned using lesser land for South End Circle, and
only vacant land will be acquired for the Trinity Circle station,
it was decided.
The
Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation is proposing to extend the network
from Yeshwantpur to Peenya in North Bangalore, and from RV Road
to Banashankari bus stand.
Monorail
Close
on the heels of the Centre waving green signal to the Metro rail,
The Karnataka government has sanctioned the much talked mono-rail
project to serve as a supplement to Rs 6400 crore Bangalore metro
project.
The
proposed mono rail project would come up at four corridors of
the metro rail project and serve as second feeder. The Managing
Director of the Bangalore said that the project comes up 33-km
length comprising both East-West and North-South corridor and
works would be started in all sections by this year end.
Once
completed Bangalore would be the 106th city in the world to get
such major urban infrastructure. While the elevated structure
would cost Rs 150 crore per kilometre it would cost over 330 crore
per kilometre stretch of the underground section, he added.
The
Centre recently approved the much delayed Metro Rail project,
which the JDS supremo H D Devegowda had been opposing on the ground
that it would burden the commuters.
Vision
2008 - Bangalore Today and Tomorrow
In
the one day seminar held recently in Bangalore (Jan 2008) several
Government agencies came togethere and made several promises to
improve the infrastructure f the City.
BRUHAT
BANGALORE MAHANAGARA PALIKE
Six underpasses proposed at a cost of Rs 131 crore
(Nagavara Ring Road, Kadirenahalli Ring Road, Puttenahalli, Prof
CNR Rao Circle, Basappa Circle, Hennur Banaswadi)
Development of arterial 70 roads of 155 km at a cost of Rs 130
crore
Inner Core Ring Road 30 km of elevated road at a Rs 1,800 crore
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST: March 2008 Investment of 7,989 crore under
JNNURM (Storm water drain network, environment management, urban
renewal, road network, solid waste management, basic services
to urban poor)
Revamp of solid waste management, landfills on 500 acres of land
and a modern abattoir at Iglur at a cost of Rs. 34 crore are also
on the cards.
BANGALORE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
New land acquisition policy. Under this policy, some proportion
of the land acquired from landowners will be offered to land owners
after development
BDA plans to distribute about 50,000 sites with 20 per cent area
reserved for vertical growth with apartments. About 2,00,000 houses
planned under the unique programme of budget housing for economically
weaker section
(Eastern sector from Varthur Road to Sarjapura road to Hosur road
of 4,560 acres will cater 1,63,589 housing units and 11,560 sites.
Western sector comprising Mysore to Magadi Road, along the BMICAPA
Hi-Tech City Corridor connecting Electronic City for a length
of 8.5 kms at a cost of Rs 140 crores will be taken up
Grade separators at Magadi Road junction, Agara junction and Iblur
Junction will be taken up
BANGALORE METROPOLITAN REGION DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
The authority will take up first township at Bidadi and consequently
Solur, Nandagudi, Sathanur and Ramanagaram. Institutional area,
government offices, super speciality hospital, Institute of Rural
Management and Global Apparel Village will be located near Ramanagaram:
An access controlled link from Outer Ring Road to BIAL with a
180 kmph design speed with flyovers at Challakere and Boyilahalli
lakes will be taken up in 2008. In the second phase, it will be
connected to City Core Ring Road
*
Integrated townships with work-live-play concept
*
Rejuvenation of water bodies
*
Redevelopment of 39 roads of special economic relevance
*
BMR ring roads with 180-kmph speed limit
*
Second phase of airport expressway to connect NH 207
BANGALORE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORT CORPORATION
1000 Volvo buses will be added to the existing fleet of 39 buses
in phased manner
Modernisation of Jayanagar and Yeshwantpur stations and Domlur
and commissioning of seven new stations will be taken up this
year
On-line GPS-GIS based vehicle tracking system on all 4,000 plus
buses to be taken up in 2008
Installation of real time passenger information system at 75 Volvo
stops in the city Smartcard based automatic fare collection system
on all buses for student passes, public passes and others on card
BANGALORE
POLICE
Cameras
for crime-prone areas
A
10 per cent reduction in crimes. That’s what the Bangalore
City Police is pointing at as last year’s high point. This,
when the force is grappling with a variety of problems, the latest
being terror threats. As an innovative crime-buster initiative,
the police are planning to install secret surveillance cameras
in crime-prone areas of the City.
“Bangalore
accounts for almost one-fourth of the State’s crimes... we
have around 37,755 crimes to be investigated, apart from the civic
disputes and miscellaneous cases,” Police Commissioner N
Achutha Rao said.
Further,
there is the seemingly never-ending line of VIPs visiting the
City. According to the police, Bangalore hosts 1,671 VIPs, including
100 heads of State, every year. On the traffic scene, the police
are furthering the B-TRAC 2010 scheme with plans to install 150
new signals, 100 monitoring cameras and establish a state-of-the-art
Traffic Management Centre. The other plans are:
*A
separate cyber crime cell for Bangalore
*
Digital albums of rowdy-sheeters
*
Smart traffic signals with Area Traffic Control
*
100 Variable Message System Boards to inform commuters on traffic
blocks
*
Recruitment of 2,027 constables in the offing
500
crore tourist attractions for City
The first step towards attracting more tourists to the City has
been the state government’s clearance for two mega projects
in January 2005— a Rs 348 crore Heritage Theme Park near
Vasanthpura and a Rs 143 crore Digital film studio near Bidadi.
The theme park, to be established by the International Society
for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) will have religion, culture
and tradition for its theme. It proposes to replicate the technology
used in Disneyworld in US to convey the Puranas, trace the birth
and life of Lord Krishna, dungeons of Hiranyakashipu and the famous
Narasimha story.The park will be equipped with a 4D theatre, a
musical fountain, an aqua screen, theatre of performing arts with
a revolving stage where over 100 artistes can perform, a petting
zone for children, a story corner and a massive food court with
varieties of Indian food, monorail and ropeway.On the other hand,
the film studio is expected to be ultimate in modern technology,
combining production facilities and entertainment. The complex
will have a multiplex, funplex apart from film studios and an
institute.
Bangalore
Flyovers
Bangalore
Development Authority (BDA) threw open the much-awaited Dairy
Circle flyover for traffic movement recently.
The
flyover connects Lalbagh Road to Hosur Road, ensuring smooth flow
of vehicles on this route. Presently, this stretch is one of the
busiest traffic junctions with an estimated 12,500 vehicles (passenger
car per unit) passing through it per hour. Constructed at a cost
of Rs 11.25 crore, the total length of the flyover is 534.82 mts.
It also has two carriage ways of 7.50 mts each. The entire flyover
rests on 11 piers and two abutments founded on 72 piles, BDA officials
said. The BDA is, however, yet to complete the work on an underpass
being constructed at the junction. The proposed underpass is taken
up at the cost of Rs 6.05 crore and will connect Bannerghatta
Road to Hosur Road. The project is scheduled to be complete in
November 15, 2005.
In
December 2003, India's longest flyover was inaugurated in Hebbal.
The Rs 65-crore Hebbal flyover is the longest in the country running
up to 5.35 km, with two separate carriageways and six lanes and
is said to be South India's first interchange at five levels.
The
Hebbal flyover is the sixth built by the Bangalore Development
Authority (BDA). Built in a record 24 months' time, it boasts
of five loops along with a bridge at the grade level and is aimed
at decongesting the National Highway No. 7.
Jayadeva
Circle flyover was finally thrown open to the public on 16 February
2005. It has taken just over two years since the project was awarded
to the UP State Bridge Corporation, to when the ribbon was cut..
The grade separator isn’t completed yet, and the flyover
is expected to be fully completed by June 2005.
True
to the nature of Bangalore roads, the flyover is a one-way, from
the Banashankari end towards the Central Silk board (see graphic).
They can take a left at ‘ground level’ to head to Dairy
Circle, and a right towards Bannerghatta.
Traffic
coming from Bannerghatta can also climb onto the flyover to go
towards the Silk Board. To go towards Dairy Circle they must take
the underpass, while they can take a turn left towards Banashankari
at ground level.
Those
coming from the Silk Board can take a left to Bannerghatta, proceed
straight on to Banashankari, or take a right to Dairy Circle,
all at ground level.
From
Dairy Circle, there are ground level left and right turns to the
Silk Board and Banashankari respectively, while the underpass
speeds the traveller’s way to Bannerghatta.
The
Rajajinagar Underpass was recently inaugurated on 25 November
2005. This four land bi directional underpass at Rajajnagar Entrance
is expected to provide easy flow of traffic in this busy area.
(photo
courtesy : Deccan Herald)
A
new project that would be coming up to ease the traffic from Silk
Board junction to Electronics City via Hosur Road and to reduce
the time taken would be the elevated road project at a cost of
$450 crores.
The
project includes construction of a four-lane elevated highway
between Silk Board Junction and Electronic City and extension
of 16-km ground road from Electronics City to Attibele. The new
road will be a six-lane dual carriageway with two-lane service
roads on either side.
The
following are the recent flyovers/ underpass that have come up
in Bangalore.
Sirsi
Circle Town Hall Flyover
Richmond Circle Flyover
Mehkri Circle Underpass
Beniganahalli KR Puram Flyover
Varthur Road ORR Grade Separator
Central Silk Board Flyover
Whitefield Road ORR Grade Separator
Hebbal Lake Interchange
Jayadeva Flyover
Anandarao Circle
Airport Road (Koramangala - Indiranagar)
Chief
Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy inaugurated the flyover at Anand Rao
Circle Feb 10, 2006 and the airport Road Flyover on 12 July 2006
The
Rs. 27.60-crore project has a main carriageway of 647 metres and
is 14 metres wide. It is expected to ease traffic congestion by
10,000 passenger car units (PCU) per hour. The fluover includes
a five-lane uni-directional carriageway up to Anand Rao Circle
with a two-lane one-way down ramp towards Basaveshwara Circle
and a four-lane one-way flyover on Seshadri Road crossing Anand
Rao Circle and Subbanna Circle.
Anand
Rao Circle is among the most congested traffic junctions in the
city and the only junction in the city where most Bangalore Metropolitan
Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses pass through.
In
its future flyover projects, the BDA has drawn up plans to use
some new technology. The authority will have anti-skid surfacing,
using German technology. This is to be used at the flyover planned
for Trinity Circle.
BDA
earlier used time-saving technology such as pre-cast components
assembled at site. Some were used at the Krishnarajauram-Whitefield
Road flyover and some are part of the Airport Road flyover project.
Using pre-fabricated components also reduces cost.
The
peripheral ring road, connecting Kengeri and Kanakapura, is likely
to be opened to traffic by the end of January. Besides diverting
truck traffic and long distance buses away from city roads, it
is expected to help commuters in the new suburbs.
Bangalore-Hosur
six lane Road
Making
the Bangalore-Hosur stretch of the national highway a six-lane
road and the construction of an elevated road between the Central
Silk Board intersection on Hosur Road and Electronics City will
commence in April and the work will be completed in two years.
There was adequate land on either side of the existing road and
so there was no need for land acquisition, except for some small
pockets. The service road on either side of the existing road
was not continuous. The new service road would be continuous till
Hosur. Further, several underpasses for pedestrians and vehicles
would be constructed to ensure smooth flow of traffic on the highway.
During
the construction work on the national highway leading to Hosur,
heavy vehicles would be diverted along adjoining peripheral roads,
mainly the Hosur-Sarjapur road. The State Government had been
asked to strengthen these roads to carry heavy vehicles. Light
vehicles, including cars and two-wheelers would be permitted to
use the existing road between Bangalore and Hosur while work on
widening the road was on.
Work
on widening to four lanes the Nelamangala-Hassan stretch of National
Highway 48 at a cost of Rs. 620 crores, the 157-km Belgaum-Panaji
highway at a cost of Rs. 400 crores and the 74-km stretch of National
Highway 17 between Suratkal and Kundapur at a cost of Rs. 500
crores would also begin soon.
Bangalore
- Mysore in 90 Minutes
For
those who've been spending about four hours everyday in the clogged
Bangalore-Mysore traffic, there is good news: Recently the Peripheral
Raod has been opened for the 9 Km stretch after much controversy.
Road-widening
work on the 141-km state highway has been progressing at a fast
pace, with the project slated for completion a full six months
ahead of schedule. And the road, designed to take vehicles at
100 kmph, will reduce travel time between Bangalore and Mysore
to a mere 90 minutes.
Presently,
the quickest way to travel between the two cities is by an express
train, which takes two-and-a-half hours.
Upcoming
Road Projects
85-km
Bangalore-Mulbagal, six-lane between KR Puram and Hoskote, 4-lane
up to Mulbagal (Rs 400 crore)
Four-lane 157km Nelamangala-Hassan, 4 km will be elevated, the
remaining 15.5 km will be six-lane (Rs 620 crore)
9 km flyover along Hosur Road leading to Electronic city, which
is ezpected to begin by April 2005 and estimated to take 30 months
for completion.
Jayadeva Underpass
Airport Road Main Flyover
Four loops of Airport Road Flyover
Anand Rao Circle Flyover
Bowring Hospital, KSP Renovation
Magadi Road - Chord Road Flyover
Hi-Tech City Corridor Road
International
Airport Project
After
a decade of hiccups, of waiting for clearances, of overcoming
hurdles, including political ones, Bangalore’s international
airport is set to become a reality. The International Airport
project, after a series for roadblocks, was cleared by the Central
Government recently.
The
international airport coming up at Devanahalli on Bangalore-Hyderabad
National Highway No 7 will be operational by 2008.
The
pushing factor for this facility is the booming economy of this
city. Bangalore has today many a globetrotter, foreign delegate,
and tourist. While the IT and ITenabled sectors are fuelling the
thriving realty mart, options in property galore in the city for
non-IT segments too such as pharma, banking, telecommunications
etc. Now, with the international connectivity things are looking
up like never before for this ever-changing city.
Work
has begun on the runway for the Bangalore International Airport
at Devanahalli, 35 km from here to complete before the July 2008
deadline. The main runway will be about four km long to support
big aircraft.
The single runway in the first phase of the airport project will
be built for all aircraft, including the Airbus A-380.
Interestingly,
the airport will be redesigned in such a way as to cater to 11.4
m passengers although the projected traffic demand for Bangalore
— as per a recent study done by Lufthansa - puts the figure
at 6.7 m by 2008 and 8.5 m by 2010.
The
redesign of the airport was necessitated because of the booming
traffic that the cyber city has seen of late. Thus, instead of
the planned 4.5 million passengers by 2008, the airport will now
handle 11.4 million when the first phase is thrown open in two
years’ time – by April, 2008 (the HAL airport currently
handles nearly five million passengers per annum).
In
the second phase, a second terminal building and another runway
is to be constructed with a taxiway for aircraft landing and taking
off. This will be a copy of the first terminal. Close to it will
come up an Airport City with accommodation for non-aviation activities.
These will include fully equipped business centres, restaurants,
hotel rooms and related businesses. BIAL hopes these facilities
will generate additional revenue and help to reduce user tariffs.
The facilities will also match those found in airports abroad.
BIAL
is apparently not worried about the distance to the new airport
compared with the HAL airport. Most international airports in
Europe are located 45 km to 60 km from city centres and cater
to large numbers of passengers each day, they point out. While
the railways have plans for a fast shuttle service between the
Bangalore Cantonment station and the airport terminal at Devanahalli,
the details are yet to be announced. Some Five star hotels are
contemplating building helipads on their rooftops to provide helicopter
service to their clients from the Hotel to the Airport.
Meanwhile,
the national highway is being widened and a flyover and an underpass
are to come up about 3 km from the airport to allow vehicles to
turn to the terminal and others to proceed towards Hyderabad or
return to Bangalore.
The airport coming up on 1700 hectares of land will be equipped
to handle 4million passengers annually, including 1 million international
travellers and transport about 140,000 tonnes of cargo. The cost
of the project has now reached Rs.1334 crore from the earlier
estimated cost of Rs.1260 crore.
AIRPORT
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