STRR works to start in six months: CM Bommai after meeting Nitin Gadkari

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said that Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has assured to start the works of long-pending Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) around Bengaluru connecting Dobaspet and Hosur in six months.

The STRR, aimed at decongesting the traffic in Bengaluru, will be implemented by the National Highway Authority of India under Bharathmala Pariyojana with an investment of around Rs 15,000 crore.

"The state government has decided to bear 30% cost amounting to Rs 1,560 crore towards land acquisition and about Rs 1,000 crore towards exemption of state GST on road construction material, especially steel, cement, sand and aggregates," Bommai told reporters in Delhi.

Since the land acquisition cost alone would be around Rs 7,500 crore, the Road Transport Ministry has been requesting the state to bear some portion of the cost.

"The state assured to complete the land acquisition quickly and Gadkari agreed to fast track the project and start the works in six months," Bommai said.

"A four-lane outer ring road would ease traffic pressure in Bengaluru city. Once the ring road works are completed, vehicles on NH going towards Tamil Nadu can directly go to Hosur from Dobaspet without entering Bengaluru city," he said.

The CM added, "The central minister also assured to expedite the four laning of the Shiradi Ghat stretch of Hassan-Mangalore National Highway-75."

The state also requested the Union minister to construct a tunnel at Shiradi Ghat stretch to avoid frequent disruptions of traffic movement due to damage of road because of heavy rain and landslides. Gadkari assured to discuss with the NHAI regarding building the tunnel, Bommai said.

Among other projects, the CM sought expansion of Bijapur-Sankeshwar NH-5488 and the declaration of five state roads as national highways while discussing various road projects with the Union minister.

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