5.3.22

Bengaluru: Sarjapur-Hebbal Metro line announced

Underlining the need for a better mass transit system to ease traffic congestion in Bengaluru, CM Basavaraj Bommai presented the budget with a focus on Namma Metro, suburban rail and Peripheral Ring Road.

Bommai announced a new 35-km Metro line connecting Sarjapur to Hebbal through Agara, Koramangala and Dairy Circle at an estimated cost of Rs 15,000 crore. He said a detailed project report for this line will be prepared in 2022-23. Of the 35km, Hebbal to Koramangala (16.8km) will be underground, the remaining Koramangala to Sarjapur stretch (18.6km) will be elevated.

BMRCL, however, was tight-lipped on whether this corridor will be taken up in Phase 3A or Phase 4 and also on its deadline.

Experts and activists welcomed the announcement since the proposed route cuts through the city’s core areas. Earlier, BMRCL had drawn flak for focusing on Bengaluru outskirts, allegedly due to political pressure.

Bommai meanwhile said another 33km of Metro line will be added to the existing network in 2022-23. “With this, Namma Metro will have 89km network. The 58-km Outer Ring Road-Kempegowda International Airport Metro corridor will be completed by March 2025,” he added.

CM’s mobility push The CM said DPR of Namma Metro’s Phase 3 corridors — 32km Hebbal-JP Nagar and 13km Hosahalli-Kadabagere lines — at an estimated cost of Rs 11,250 crore will be submitted to the Centre for approval.

Bommai said the Peripheral Ring Road project will be implemented at a cost of Rs 21,091 crore under DBFOT (design, build, finance, operate and transfer) model. The contractor will bear the cost of land acquisition and construction. He said the 148-km Bengaluru suburban railway project will be completed by 2026 at an estimated cost of Rs 15,267 crore.

A skywalk will be constructed at a cost of Rs 45 crore at Banashankari junction to connect Metro station with the bus stand. Similarly, Metro stations will be connected to their nearest railway stations at a cost of Rs 55 crore in Whitefield, KR Puram,  Byappanahalli, Yeshwantpur, Jnanabharathi and Yelahanka. ‘


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