The process of handing over the proposed expressway between Outer Ring Road and the international airport in Devanahalli to the National Highways Authority of India has entered the next phase, with officials of the NHAI assessing the alignment of the road.

The NHAI officials on Tuesday did a spot visit of the areas covered under the proposed alignment, sources in the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited said on Wednesday. The officials are also learnt to have discussed issues with regard to the acquisition of land for the project, that has run into opposition from the affected property owners.

“This was a preliminary visit before the formal handing-over of the project, from KRDCL to NHAI. The project will be undertaken in accordance with the NHAI Act,” a senior KRDCL official said.
The official, however, said there was still no consensus with regard to the nodal agency entrusted with the responsibility of land acquisition.

In January this year, Governor Rameshwar Thakur had announced that the development of the 21.8-km expressway to the upcoming Bengaluru International Airport would be handed over to the NHAI. The acquisition of land for the much-in-the-news project was to be taken up by the Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority.

Meanwhile, the affected property owners continued to oppose the road alignment, pointing out that the constant change in alignment was done to protect properties of certain influential persons.