National highways to go multi-lane around B'lore

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will take up widening of the National Highway stretches between the city and Devanahalli, Kolar and Nelamangala to facilitate easy movement of cargo transport vehicles.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who announced the NHAI's initiatives for Bangalore here, said that the widening of the National Highways (NH) will greatly reduce the pressure on the city.

The Bangalore-Nelamangala stretch of NH-4 will be converted into a six-lane expressway from the present four-lane. A four-kilometre elevated corridor will also be constructed. Similarly, the Bangalore-Devanahalli section of NH-7 will have six lanes.

The Bangalore-Kolar section of NH-4 is being four-laned, Singh added.

He said that the UPA government has speeded up the construction and development of NHs. "We now have a road programme under the National Highways Development Programme costing over Rs 2.2 lakh crore to be completed in the next 7-8 years," he stated. Earlier, the PM launched works on the Silk Board junction-Electronic City Elevated Expressway project.

Soma Enterprises Limited, in joint venture with Nagarjuna Constructions Company and Maytas Infrastructure Private Limited, has been awarded the construction of the 9-kilometre stretch at an estimated cost of Rs 765 crore. The consortium has a concession period of 20 years.

Singh also launched work on the Rs 6,395 crore Bangalore Metro Rail project. The first phase of the project is expected to be commissioned by December 2011 covering 33 kilometre.