In a change of plans, Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited (B-SMILE) has decided to white-top the main carriageway of the Outer Ring Road (ORR) in east Bengaluru as part of the comprehensive development of the IT stretch to “global standards”.

The 17.1 km stretch between Silk Board Junction and K.R. Pura Metro Station is set for a ₹368-crore facelift and was earlier planned to be black-topped using the stone matrix asphalting technique. The Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) has also dropped the strict quality controls that it had planned to include in the tender to ensure quality work.

Durability perspective

A B-SMILE source confirmed to The Hindu that only the main carriageway would be white-topped, while the service roads would be black-topped. However, there is no change in the plan to dedicate a separate priority lane for buses.

Initially, the plan was to reconstruct a section of the road adjoining the metro pillars, while the other half was to undergo patchwork. The source explained that construction costs have gone up in the past three months, especially for asphalting materials, which would be even costlier under the initial plan.

The source said that despite spending such a large sum, the durability would still be around seven to ten years, while white-topping would cost less in the present situation. In addition, the durability of white-topped roads would be nearly double compared to black-topping, given the sheer volume of vehicles that use this stretch.

For instance, the cost of bitumen went up substantially in January and doubled during the initial phase of the West Asia crisis, as per the source. The cost is expected to increase further irrespective of the status of the West Asia situation.

Earlier, the SPV had planned a new mandate requiring contractors to take on 10 years of maintenance liability. However, the period has been reduced to three years, as per the tender documents.

Traffic nightmare

According to the documents, the construction period has been set at 11 months, which means the traffic police will have to make adequate adjustments to the existing stretch, as there is no like-for-like alternative road for the IT corridor. However, some stretches can still share the burden of the ORR.

During the construction period, it is highly likely that the road will operate at half capacity, exacerbating congestion on a stretch that is already heavily burdened. The worst affected will be the junctions along the stretch, as the ripple effect of micro-level congestion points will directly impact traffic signals, according to Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) sources.

“If the road is halved, we must not only deploy officers at the junctions but also at multiple points along the road to deal with micro-level congestion. In addition, personnel will have to be deployed at all sites where construction is active,” a senior traffic police officer said.

The BTP’s contention is that if the construction is undertaken after the commencement of Metro Phase 2A, the Blue Line, which runs along the IT corridor, will provide commuters with an additional option, reducing the burden on the road. However, the SPV is likely to tender out the works before that, as the bids are already ongoing.

A B-SMILE officer said that the inconvenience will be limited to a few months. “If we white-top, it will help traffic on the stretch in the long term.” According to the tender document, the concessionaire has to carry out work in three shifts to ensure completion on time, which means work will continue at night as well.

Two participants

A B-SMILE source said that two companies are participating in the bids, which are currently live.

The project has been divided into two packages: Silk Board Junction to Iblur Junction (5.44 km) and Iblur Junction to KR Puram Metro Station (11.57 km).