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Can consider tunnel roads to ease traffic in Bengaluru: Shivakumar
The state government is mulling construction of tunnel roads crisscrossing the city, to ease out traffic congestions in Bengaluru, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said on Saturday.
The state government is mulling construction of tunnel roads crisscrossing the city, to ease out traffic congestions in Bengaluru, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said on Saturday.
Shivakumar, who holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio, held a meeting at Vidhana Soudha with noted personalities from various fields regarding the development of the state capital. Construction of “tunnel roads” in the city and development of satellite towns were among the suggestions that came across at the meeting.
Noting that suggestions came regarding the construction of tunnel roads crisscrossing the city, Shivakumar said: “Few of those who attended the meeting said, get people from outside for this (tunnel roads), let them invest and maintain it for about 50 years and then give it back to the state. They said the government should take a bold step in this regard or else it will be a big problem for Bengaluru in the days ahead.”
Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairman and MD of Prestige Group Irfan Razack, co-founder of Zerodha Nikhil Kamath, BJP MP from Bangalore North and former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda, were among those who attended the meeting.
Earlier on Tuesday, Shivakumar after inspecting various locations that witness congestion, had said there are 18 points of traffic congestion in the city. Construction of either tunnels or flyovers to tackle traffic issues were being considered, he said.
Shivakumar on Saturday said an expert committee would be constituted to prepare a master plan or a blueprint for comprehensive development of Bengaluru city in six months. “After rounds of consultations, we will constitute a committee of government officials and those willing to contribute from the private, to prepare a blueprint, a master plan for Bengaluru in six months.”
The Deputy CM said another round of meetings will be held next week where the opinions of people from various fields will be heard. A website will also be launched and the opinions from the public will be collected, he said, adding, the process of making a grand plan for the comprehensive development of Bengaluru will be launched after that.
According to Shivakumar, many issues including high traffic corridors, extending metro rail service, reduction of traffic congestion especially at high-density traffic junctions in the city, solving the problem of waste management, purification and reuse of sewage water for industries and parks, improving slums, road widening, construction of peripheral ring road and elevated roads, were discussed in the meeting.
Some expressed displeasure over the suburban rail project not being initiated, he said, adding suggestions have also been received about completing the pending works of ‘NICE Road’ and using it as a ring road, time-bound completion of projects, and eliminating corruption.
