Bengaluru is bracing for a fresh round of roadworks, as Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar unveiled plans for white-topping 500 km of city roads at an estimated cost of ₹4,000 crore. Speaking at the launch of infrastructure upgrades in the Gandhinagar Assembly constituency on Monday, Shivakumar said a Detailed Project Report (DPR) is currently underway for the ambitious project.
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The city has 1,650 km of major roads, and white-topping, a method that involves covering roads with concrete for increased durability, has already been completed on 148 km, said a report by The Hindu. Work is currently in progress on 104 km of new stretches. Shivakumar emphasized the longevity of white-topped roads, which are expected to last 25 to 30 years.
Ongoing black-topping work spans 350 km across 182 roads with a budget of ₹695 crore. Additionally, 550 km of roads are being asphalted under a ₹1,100 crore grant, he said. The development of 83 roads has already cost ₹1,800 crore, the report stated.
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{{/usCountry}}Shivakumar also spoke about the 117-km Bangalore Business Corridor (BBC) project, promising “bumper compensation” for affected farmers, including three times the standard payout and benefits like TDR and FAR, a departure from what earlier governments offered, said the report.
He criticized the lack of support from the central government, noting that his ₹1.5 lakh crore funding request made during Prime Minister Modi’s Metro Yellow Line visit has gone unanswered.
Over 10,000 potholes have been fixed so far, according to Shivakumar, with citizens now able to report civic issues directly via photos. In Gandhinagar, ₹58.44 crore has been approved for 5.57 km of integrated road works, including ducts and drainage, the report added.