Bengaluru Business Corridor: Karnataka Plans Commercial Development Along PRR To Offset Rs 21,000 Crore Land Costs

The Karnataka government is set to embark on the commercial development of real estate along the proposed Peripheral Ring Road (PRR), now rebranded as the Bengaluru Business Corridor (BBC).

This move aims to subsidise the hefty Rs 21,000 crore land acquisition cost. The total cost of the project is Rs 27,000 crore.

The PRR, designed to encircle the city's peripheries, aims to alleviate traffic congestion and improve connectivity in the region. It will traverse through 10 major junctions and over 100 minor intersections, strategically placing 16 flyovers at key locations such as Hesarghatta Road, Old Madras Road, Whitefield Road, Channasandra Road, and Hosur Road, among others.

The decision comes after the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) repeatedly failed to attract bidders for the project, as private companies were unwilling to bear the land acquisition expenses.

In a recent meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D K Shivakumar directed the BDA to explore innovative financing options to ensure the viability of the PRR. Under the new proposal, the BDA will assign the project to private players using the build, own, operate, and transfer (BOOT) model, reports The Hindu.

The commercial development plan will further reduce the PRR's Right of Way (RoW). Initially, the PRR was designed with a 100-metre RoW, featuring eight main lanes and three service lanes on either side.

This was reduced to 75 metres last year. Now, the RoW will be cut to 55-60 metres, with eight main lanes and a service road on only one side. The remaining 40-45 metres will be developed commercially.

PRR

This ambitious project is set to feature 16 flyovers, 10 overpasses, and 12 underpasses, enhancing the city's transportation network. Additionally, the plan includes bridges over seven water bodies, including prominent ones like Chikkatogur Lake, Gunjur Lake, and Jarakabande Lake, further facilitating seamless connectivity.

To tackle traffic intricacies, the project incorporates six cloverleaf-type over bridges, providing a solution for efficient crisscrossing without congestion.

Designs made public by the BDA showcase a 100-m-wide greenfield expressway, featuring green spaces, utilities, underground cables, footpaths, cycle tracks, and drains.

The main carriageway, boasting eight lanes, will be flanked by service roads on both sides, with a broad median reserved for potential future integration with the metro project.

The project covers a length of 65.95 km between Hosur Road and Tumakuru Road, with an additional 3.4 km near Madanayakanahalli and 4.08 km near Hebbagodi to link existing roads seamlessly into the PRR network.