The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure today approved the implementation of project of upgradation, operation and maintenance of Hyderabad Bangalore section of NH-7 in Karnataka from 534.72 Km to 556.84 Km to be executed as BOT (Toll) on Design, Build, Finance, Operate & Transfer (DBFOT) project under NHDP Phase-VII.
The total project cost is estimated at Rs 679.36 crore under DBFOT pattern. The concession period is 20 years including construction period of 30 months. The project is covered in two districts of Karnataka, i.e. Bangalore (Urban) and Bangalore (Rural).
The main objective of the project is to expedite the improvement of infrastructure in the state. The project road runs between Devanahalli and Hebbal near Bangalore International Airport and will provide uninterrupted connectivity to Bangaluru International Airport. The main features of the project include underpasses for pedestrian and cattle crossing; construction of approaches and widening of flyovers; reconstruction of existing service road; highway illumination and construction of bus bays.
The Cabinet had approved in December 2007 for construction of ring roads, bypasses, flyovers, elevated roads, grade separators, Road Over Bridges, underpasses and service roads for removing identified traffic bottlenecks on the existing National Highways under NHDP Phase VII. It was also mandated that need based projects of grade-separated intersections, ROBs, underpasses, service roads among others should be finalised by the ministry in consultation with the state governments. The stretch under consideration is one of the approved stretches.
The major impact of the project lies in reducing the time and cost of travel of traffic, particularly heavy traffic running between Devanahalli and Hebbal and to Bangalore International Airport. It will also improve the transport facilities for the tourists.
The Cabinet committee also approved the electrification of the Shoranur-Mangalore-Panambur section of Southern Railway. The cost of electrification of this line is estimated at Rs 302.50 crore with allocation of Rs 45.38 crore in XI Plan and Rs 257.12 crore in XII Plan.
The route Shoranur-Mangalore-Panambur falls in the Northern and Western parts of Kerala (315 RKM) and Karnataka (13 RKM) respectively on the Chennai-Mangalore corridor. Major traffic moved on this section is food grains, coal to industries, hardware, fertilisers, coir, paper, timber, cement, rubber, petroleum products, mineral ore, copper and other electrical goods.
Electrification of Trivandrum to Shoranur and Shoranur to Chennai is already done and work is in progress in Trivandrum-Kannyakumari section.
Electrifying Shoranur-Mangalore-Panambur section will ensure seamless operation in Panambur-Mangalore-Kannyakumari section (736 RKM) and Chennai-Panambur section (591 RKM). This will reduce the detention to good trains and will ensure faster movement of passenger and goods traffic.
The project is planned to be completed in five years and will be executed by Central Organisation for Railway Eletrification, Allahabad. The project is expected to be completed in the year 2014-15 and will cover two states, i.e. Kerala and Karnataka and six districts, i.e. Palghat, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur & Kasargod in Kerala and Dakshina Kannada of Karnataka.
