Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway will be completed by October next year: Nitin Gadkari

Bengaluru: Over 60 percent of the work on the ambitious Bengaluru-Mysuru Economic Corridor project (popularly called the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway) has been completed and the project will be dedicated to the nation in October 2022, announced Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari.

The 10-lane highway connecting the two cities is expected to reduce travel time to 90 minutes from present three hours.

The 117-km highway, being implemented under Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase I at an estimated cost of Rs 8,172 crore, is divided into two packages and the construction began in May and December 2019. The first package consists of the road from Bengaluru to Nidaghatta in Maddur taluk and costs around Rs 3,000 crore and the second package connects Nidaghatta to Myusuru for which Rs 3,500 is being spent.

Bhopal-based Dilip Buildcon was awarded the contract for construction of the both the packages – 56 km from Bengaluru to Nidagatta and 61 km from Nidagatta to Mysore. As of April end, around 67.5% of the first package and about 50% of the second package was completed.

The Bengaluru-Mysuru Economic corridor also includes bypass roads for areas that fall en-route between the two cities, including Bidadi, Ramanagara, Channapatna, Maddur, Mandya, and Srirangapatna. Two elevated corridors are being built, including a 5 km section in the outskirts of Bengaluru, and a 3 km section in Maddur. The scope of the work also includes construction of nine major bridges, 44 minor bridges and four road over bridges and road under bridges.

The 10-lane Highway also includes two service roads on either side and wherever the works have been completed, vehicles are being allowed to travel. This has considerably reduced the traffic density between the two cities. It is said that once the road works are complete, the National Highways Authority of India will decide on the toll.