Bengaluru: Facing mounting complaints from residents and commuters over prolonged delays, Bengaluru development minister Krishna Byre Gowda Monday inspected the ongoing concretising works on the Hennur-Bagalur Road and directed officials to complete the project within two months.Hennur-Bagalur Road has emerged as a key urban corridor in north Bengaluru, serving not only as an alternative route to Kempegowda International Airport but also connecting several rapidly developing residential layouts, apartment clusters, commercial establishments and village pockets.The 4.6-km concretising project, taken up by Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Ltd. (B-Smile), has remained incomplete despite being under execution for over a year-and-a-half and missing multiple deadlines. During the inspection, Gowda noted while the quality of work was satisfactory, the pace of execution remained a concern.To expedite the project, the minister said an additional contractor will be deployed alongside the existing one. Also, the length will be extended from 4.6km to 5km.“The work has been happening very slowly, resulting in delays. Along with the existing contractor, another contractor will be brought in and will begin work from the opposite side of the road so that the project can be completed faster,” Gowda said.He directed the departments to coordinate closely and ensure completion of the works within the deadline.Hennur-Bagalur to become signal-free: KBGCalling the stretch critical for the city’s future growth, Gowda said govt aims to transform the corridor into a signal-free route over the next five years. He said govt would undertake feasibility studies to examine options for grade-separated infrastructure, including an elevated corridor or flyovers at major junctions.“An elevated corridor is one option being pushed by the govt, including chief minister DK Shivakumar and energy minister KJ George. However, we cannot proceed without studying its feasibility and viability. If that option does not work out, we will look at constructing flyovers at all signal points and make this a signal-free corridor,” he said.According to officials, the long-term plan is aimed at improving connectivity to the airport while addressing the increasing traffic demand generated by the fast-growing residential and commercial developments along the corridor.
