Title - Bnagalore metro chugs along to widen reach

If everything goes well, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) will initiate tender process in three months time for construction of viaduct and stations in the Baiyappanahalli-Whitefield line (eastern extension) and Mysore Road to Kengeri (Western extension). Manging director of the BMRCL, N Sivasailam, who tweeted on the development of the project on Monday, stated that the BMRCL is waiting for the nod from central government on the project. Speaking to DNA, Sivasailam said, “Clearance from empowered committee is expected in due course. We will be ready with tender documents within three months time.”Baiyappanahalli to ITPL extension covers a distance of about 15km. As per the plan, Baiyappanahalli to ITPL extension starts from south side of Bangalore-Chennai railway line and crosses Kasturinagar Road and Outer Ring Road and reaches the Old Madras Road. Then the alignment reaches the Whitefield Road and runs along the median of Whitefield Road and then on the median of Graphite India Road.After this, the alignment runs along the median of road and touches the ITPL and Whitefield Satya Sai Ashram. The corridor has 14 stations - Jyothipuram, KR Puram, Narayanapura, Mahadevapura, Garudcharyapalya, Doddanakundi, Vishveshvaraiah Industrial estate, Kundalahalli, Vaidehi Hospital, Satayasai Medical institute, ITPL, Kadugodi, Ujwala Vidyalaya and Whitefield.

At present, the BMRCL is operating metro from Baiyappanahalli and MG Road stations, which has received good response from Bangaloreans. On the other hand, Mysore Road Terminal to Kengeri line continues to be on the median of the Mysore Road till it reaches Kengeri. The corridor has five stations: Nayandahalli, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bangalore University Cross, RV College of Engineering and Kengeri. The state budget presented by chief minister Jagadish Shettar mentioned that the phase II of Namma Metro project consists of 72.09 km and the state has approved Rs26405 crore towards it. To complete all the lines of the phase II, it will take five to six years from the date of approval by the Union government.