Malaysian firm keen on elevated corridor project

A Malaysian government agency has evinced interest in executing the elevated corridor project in Bengaluru on Build Operate Own and Transfer  basis. The Rs 18,000-crore project is being implemented by the government through Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) and aims to ease traffic in City.

Bengaluru City Development Minister K J George held a preliminary discussion with a delegation representing Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), an agency of the Malaysian government.

“They have evinced interest in executing the project,’’ he said adding that similar interest had been shown by firms from Japan and United Arab Emirates (UAE).

George said the CIDB was keen on several infrastructure projects taken up by the State , particularly those in Bengaluru. American Engineering Company AECOM has been entrusted with the work to prepare a Detailed Feasibility Report of the six elevated corridors crisscrossing the City. Total length of the project is 82.7 km.

AECOM is likely to give its report in the next couple of months. “Once the DFR is ready, the project will be implemented within two years,” the minister said.

On the process of choosing the contractor to execute the project, he said the government was open to tenders, Swiss Challenge and even government-to-government level agreements signed between India and other countries.

Swiss Challenge is a method of choosing an agency where the proposal of the first bidder is put online to invite others to implement at a lesser cost. If the first bidder accepts the improvised proposal of the second bidder, the contract will go to them, otherwise,  the contract is given to the second bidder.

Sariah Abd Karib, senior general manager, CIDB, said they have sound experience in construction of elevated corridors.

“In Kuala Lumpur, people can choose options to exit the city. There are three-level elevated corridors in the city measuring close to 2,000 km,” she said. George said the government was open to adopting other models for implementing the Peripheral Outer Ring Road, including the Amaravathi land pooling method. The 67-km semi-circle six-lane road will be connected to Nice Road.

The government has already received a loan of Rs 3,000 crore from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to implement the project.

“The cost of land acquisition itself is around Rs 8,000 crore,” George said. Because of the huge cost involved , the government is planning to adopt land pooling or provide TDR or  outrightly purchase lands .