It is good news for commuters traveling between Bangalore and Mysore.  The Supreme Court has allowed Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) to go ahead with the development of the Rs.2,250 crore Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC), with a condition that the land earmarked for the purpose should not be alienated.

It may be recalled here that much dust was kicked up over the project in the last 10 years for various reasons.  But the State Government recently gave its nod to NICE, the project-implementing consortium, for completing the project and directed government departments to honour the enabling framework agreement it signed with NICE in 1997.

The project that aims at reducing travel time and distance between Mysore and Bangalore and also creating infrastructure for urbanization is estimated to cost Rs.2,250 crores.  The express corridor envisages a 111 km six lane fenced toil road linking Bangalore and Mysore, 41 km of peripheral road outside Bangalore linking six major roads and five townships abutting the corridor.  The project will come up on 20,193 acres consisting of both government and private land acquired for the project through the State agencies.  Work has begun on the first of the three phases of 62 km peripheral, express and link roads outside Bangalore.

NICE Managing Director, Ashok Kheny, said, “the expressway component of the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor will be an efficient, reliable and a safe toll road that represents a key link in the national highway system.  The roadways will be constructed of high quality material and designed to take advantage of state-of-the-art highway engineering and construction techniques.  All roads crossing the expressway will be grade separated by bridges or underpasses.  Access to the expressway will be by interchanges.  To achieve the objective of safe travel and a smooth ride, the expressway will be designed using innovative material and construction techniques such as continuous cement concrete pavement.  As a limited access expressway with a continuous barrier on either side, the road will prevent ribbon development, increase efficiency of individual travel and cargo movement and improve vehicle safety”.  He added that the project would continue to meet the Phase I deadline of August as work was on at a brisk pace.  The whole project will be completed over a period of three to four years.

Giving details of the project, Kheny said, “this is the only mega road project in the country wherein the State doesn’t invest a single rupee on the project but gets back about 60 percent of the area of the project which is fully developed including roads, civic  amenities and buildings after 30 years concession period.  The State will also earn more than Rs.8,000/- crores during these 30 years in duties, tax, stamps, cess and other revenues”.

In the first phase, a 9.1 km link road between Mysore Road (BHEL) and Somupura (the interchange and the beginning of the expressway) will be made.  Also, 12 km expressway upto Bidadi, development of interchanges at Hosur Road, Tumkur Road and Link Road and a 41 km peripheral road linking Hosur Road to Tumkur Road will be constructed.  In the second phase, the road between Bidadi and Ramanagaram will be taken up.  In the final phase, the rest of the expressway between Ramanagaram and Mysore will be completed.

Apart from the expressway, the consortium has also planned five self-sustainable townships for a capacity population of one lakh.  The significance of these townships is that NICE will offer dedicated services for different sectors to set up their institutions here.  A corporate centre, commercial centre, industrial centre, heritage centre and an eco-tourism centre will be set up in the townships along the corridor.

The expressway will facilitate vehicles cruising at a speed of 120 km per hour at Re. 1 per km.  It has suitable provision for grade separated interchanges and exit lanes to serve as links to townships or to get off the road.  At the entry, the road user will be given a card which will have the details about his entry, time and vehicle number and at the time of exiting the expressway, the toll plaza operator would check on the distance and collect the toll.  While provisions for service area for resting, refueling, repairs etc. have been given much emphasis, land has also been demarcated for truck terminals, bus terminals, warehousing facilities, cold storages, healthcare services, weigh bridges and other such services.