ORR facelift design to be discussed with residents and companies before works commence
The Outer Ring Road (ORR) redevelopment plan will be finalised after discussions with local residents, said Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda. Gowda visited
The Outer Ring Road (ORR) redevelopment plan will be finalised after discussions with local residents, said Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda. Gowda visited the ORR stretch in eastern Bengaluru on Thursday night and inspected the section between Lowry Junction and Iblur Junction. The visit was part of discussions on the comprehensive redevelopment of the ORR from Silk Board Junction to K.R. Puram Metro Station at an estimated cost of ₹450 crore. Gowda said it is essential to find an appropriate solution to the traffic congestion issue before taking up the road redevelopment works, a concern that the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) has been raising since the development plan was unveiled.
Earlier, B-SMILE, the project implementing agency, was ready to begin work before the monsoon and had even floated tenders. However, the tender was cancelled after the lowest bidder was not awarded the contract. Even then, the BTP had maintained that carrying out the work by imposing traffic restrictions on the stretch, especially when the Blue Line metro is yet to become operational, would paralyse traffic on the interior roads. The Minister’s direction has now come as a breather for commuters, who would otherwise have faced prolonged traffic disruption. Gowda said, “A large number of apartment complexes, companies and commercial establishments line the ORR.
Therefore, the plan must be prepared after a comprehensive study of local conditions and adequate public consultation. Accordingly, once the design is ready, consultations will be held with local residents before finalising it.” He added that the inspection provided a clear understanding of the road’s overall condition, and the design would now be finalised accordingly. A B-SMILE source told The Hindu that tenders have already been floated for white-topping the stretch and that work would proceed as planned. Only the design of the footpaths and other structures will be discussed with residents before the works commence. The Minister also said that redevelopment work must begin only after obtaining permissions from all the departments concerned.
Better coordination has long been a demand of civic groups, which have pointed to its absence as one of the reasons for the city’s infrastructure failures. During the inspection, Mr. Gowda pulled up a chief engineer over rampant road digging and the civic body’s lack of knowledge about which department had undertaken the work, highlighting the lack of coordination. He directed officials to ensure that all permissions are properly recorded and that no illegal digging is carried out in the future.
The BriefWire