Attention Bengaluru! You might have to wait some more for a future where traffic isn’t a day-to-day problem. Remember the promised futuristic road network circling Bengaluru’s east and north areas? The highway that was supposed to redefine urban connectivity, enhance both convenience and efficiency for residents and commuters alike? Well, the proposed project it seems, may never see light of the day as it has no bidders. The 74-km long Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) was supposed to be a circular highway with eight lanes and also, six service lanes. Starting from the bustling NICE Road Junction on Tumkur Road, the PRR promised to traverse key arteries like Bellary Road and Old Madras Road, culminating at National Highway-44 on Hosur Road. What’s more, the PRR, once constructed, could have integrated seamlessly with Bengaluru‘s existing infrastructure, including the semi-circular NICE Road near BIEC & Konappana Agrahara. Anticipating significant impact, the project planned to acquire 2,400 acres of land. But sadly, even in the third tender for construction, the PRR failed to attract any eligible bidder. Let’s find out why.
Bengaluru’s Peripheral Ring Road: A distant dream
The PRR project was first proposed in 2006. The Times of India reported that in the third try to get bids, a company from Kenya tried to join in. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t make the cut because they were not eligible.
The real problem with PRR started when the authorities figured out that the project was going to cost around Rs 12,000 crore. But surprise! It ended up costing way more, almost double, because the price of buying the land shot up three times from what they expected. This caused a lot of delays.
Originally, the whole thing was supposed to cost around Rs 14,000 crore. Of that, Rs 8,000 crore was supposed to cover buying the land, and Rs 6,000 crore was for actually building stuff. But thanks to a law from 2013 that says they have to pay more for taking people’s land, the total cost jumped from Rs 21,000 crore to a whopping Rs 27,000 crore. And according to multiple media reports, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) wants whoever wins the bid to pay for everything up front. Plus, they’ll reportedly get to collect tolls for fifty years and control the advertising along the road.
The PRR upon completion is said to feature 17 toll booths and innovative clover field junctions at strategic points like Old Madras Road and Airport Road. With nine entry and exit points, including flyovers, underpasses, and railway overbridges, the PRR promises to alleviate traffic congestion that has plagued Bengaluru for years.
Features and Facilities at PRR
The highway is supposed to have six cloverleaf-style bridges, designed to ease traffic flow and eliminate congestion issues.
As shown in the plans released by the BDA, the expressway will span 100 meters wide and will be built from scratch with green spaces, utilities, underground cables, footpaths, cycle lanes, and drainage systems.
The main road will consist of eight lanes, flanked by service roads on each side, with a spacious central section potentially reserved for future integration with a metro line.
Despite the BDA’s deliberations on the next course of action, progress on the PRR project remains uncertain, pending critical decisions to address escalating traffic congestion in the city.