1.8.22

Mysuru -Bengaluru highway to be ready by Oct-end

Barring a few design tweaks and addition of entry and exit roads from major towns along the way, six main carriageways of the 10-lane Mysuru-Bengaluru expressway will be thrown open for traffic by October-end. With this, the travel time between the two cities will reduce from three hours to about 90 minutes.

However, the formal opening of the fully completed expressway will be delayed by a few months with fresh demands made by locals over shifting of a toll plaza and introduction of new features like entry and exit points from 4-5 major towns on this stretch. Nearly 80% of the work is completed.

In reply to a question by Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel in the Lok Sabha, Union minister for highways and transport Nitin Gadkari said 61km between Mysuru and Nidagatta (near Maddur) is likely to be completed by early September. The cost for this stretch is Rs 2,919 crore, and Rs 1,939 has been spent. The 56.2km stretch between Nidagatta and Bengaluru is likely to be thrown open to the public by October 20. The project cost is Rs 3,501 crore, and Rs 1,559.81 crore has been utilized until now.

By October end, six main carriageways of the 10-lane road will be thrown open for vehicle movement, according to Mysuru MP Pratap Simha. He said changes being sought include shifting Ganaguru toll plaza, entry and exit points with rest areas in Srirangapatna, Mandya, Maddur, Bidadi and Ramanagar. Modalities of the work implementation are yet to be finalised, he said.

Unforeseen hurdles, including protests demanding some facilities, have put a spanner in the works, said an NHAI officer. Demand for more underpasses is a stumbling block, he added.


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