Bengaluru's 120-km elevated corridor plan advances; tenders for 11 stretches under way
The Karnataka government is going ahead with a network of 13 elevated corridors spanning about 120 km across Bengaluru, even as the projects continue to attract public debate. The plans were reviewed on Thursday by D.K. Shivakumar, along with officials of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA). Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda was also present at the meeting.
According to the agenda placed at the review, the government is in the process of inviting tenders for 11 of the proposed corridors, covering 75.6 km, at an estimated cost of ₹13,262.7 crore. It was also decided that the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) will carry out land acquisition for the elevated corridors. A survey of the properties likely to be affected by the acquisition has already been completed.
The corridors are intended to reduce congestion on major roads and junctions, improve connectivity between Bengaluru's core and its outer areas, and cut travel time for commuters. Most of the projects were planned in line with the Bengaluru Integrated Transport Plan-2020, Mr. Shivakumar noted during the discussion.
The review was held as the GBA marked one year since it was set up earlier this month. The meeting examined works being carried out by all parastatal agencies under the authority.
Bengaluru, one of India's fastest-growing cities, has for years struggled with traffic congestion that lengthens commutes and adds to air pollution. Successive governments have proposed a mix of remedies, including metro rail expansion, suburban rail, bus priority measures and road projects such as elevated corridors and white-topping of arterial roads.
Large infrastructure projects in the city have, however, faced continued scrutiny. Urban mobility experts and resident groups have raised questions about the cost of elevated corridors, the displacement caused by land acquisition, and the felling of trees along proposed alignments. Some argue that adding road capacity can, over time, encourage greater private vehicle use, while others hold that Bengaluru's congestion requires large-scale interventions alongside a sharp expansion of public transport. The projects have been justified by the government as necessary to address the city's traffic problem.
The meeting also dealt with the proposed Economic Development Agency, which was to be set up within one year of the GBA's formation, with the Minister for Bengaluru Development as its chairperson. The agency is envisaged to attract investment and generate employment within GBA limits through suitable public-private partnership projects.
The agenda recorded that the proposal for the agency was placed before the GBA Executive Committee at its second meeting on July 3. Members were asked to submit suggestions or instructions within three days. As no suggestions were received, the proposal was subsequently placed before the GBA Authority for approval.
The review also covered white-topping works covering 120.69 km across Bengaluru at a total cost of ₹1,700 crore. Of this, 55.54 km is being taken up under the State government's ₹800-crore grant for 2023-24, while another 65.15 km is being developed using ₹900 crore from additional tax revenue of the municipal corporations. So far, 64.09 km of roads have been completed and opened to traffic, while work on the remaining stretches is under way.
The immediate next steps for the elevated corridor programme are the award of contracts for the 11 stretches and the completion of land acquisition, which the BDA will handle. Cost estimates, the pace of tendering and the rehabilitation of affected property owners are likely to remain central to the public discussion as the works move forward.
