BBMP to miss 2nd deadline to finish bus priority lane

The BBMP is likely to miss the self-imposed November 15 deadline to set up a 22 km-long bus priority lane on Outer Ring Road.

After missing the October-end deadline, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner B H Anil Kumar had directed the engineers to complete the work by November 15.

The BBMP, jointly with the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), has finalised the bus lanes on Indiranagar 100 Feet Road, Old Madras Road, Benniganahalli Bridge, K R Puram Railway Station and Outer Ring Road (ORR).

However, now it seems that the civic body plans to complete the work in phases.

According to the latest update by Road Infrastructure (RI) officials, only the stretch from Lowry Junction to Iblur Junction will be ready by November 15.

S Somashekhara, BBMP chief engineer, (RI), told DH: “Work on the stretch between Lowry Junction and Iblur Junction will be open for buses by November 15.”

However, the work between Indiranagar 100 Feet Road and KR Puram railway station will be delayed for another two weeks.

N Ramesh, chief engineer, Project Central, BBMP, said: “The work between Indiranagar 100 Feet and Krishnarajapuram is on. But this is expected to be completed only after the work on the stretch between Lowry Junction and Iblur Junction is finished.”

After scrapping the plan to install bollards citing accident threat to motorists, the civic body is now installing cat reflectors along the stretch to mark the lane.

BBMP Commissioner B H Anil Kumar was not available for comment.