Relief in sight for Bengaluru's traffic nightmare with greenfield corridor set for ahead of schedule December launch

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, on Thursday announced that Bengaluru will see the inauguration of two major infrastructure projects by the end of the year.

The Karnataka city is expected to see The Greenfield Corridor between Bengaluru and Chennai and the Bengaluru Satellite Township Ring Road (STRR) project be completed in a bid to significantly ease traffic congestion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Greenfield Corridor.

Speaking at the Karnataka BJP special state executive committee meeting, Gadkari stated that the Rs 17,000 crore STRR project, launched in June 2022, will be completed a year ahead of schedule. The STRR project aims to connect the city's peripheries and reduce inner-city traffic by 30%.

The STRR, with its foundation laid in June 2022, will link areas like Dobbspet, Ramanagara, Magadi Road, Doddaballapur, Devanahalli, Hoskote, Sarjapur, and Hosur. This road is expected to ease Bengaluru's traffic congestion significantly. The Bengaluru-Chennai Greenfield Corridor will reduce travel time between the two cities to just two hours.

The Rs 17,930 crore Greenfield Corridor, announced in 2018 and in development for six years, will also open by the end of the year.

Gadkari also highlighted that Karnataka has received Rs 3.5 lakh crore worth of road transport works in the last decade, with every MP from the state getting funding for their projects. However, he expressed concerns about road projects being delayed due to environmental and forest clearances. He urged the state government to expedite these processes, assuring that the Centre is ready to undertake Rs 2 lakh crore worth of road projects in Karnataka, pending necessary approvals.

"The CM and deputy CM came to meet me yesterday regarding certain projects. I reiterated that there was no scarcity of funds for projects. In fact, I assured them Rs 2 lakh crore worth of road projects will be undertaken," Gadkari said.