Varthur- Balagere road to be widened up to 18 metres

Bengaluru: Days after reports and videos of traffic jams on the key Varthur- Balagere route connecting Panathur, where students were recently stranded for more than two hours, the Palike has said it will widen the road from the current 12 metres to 18 metres. Due to the protests by parents and children requesting that traffic be reduced and Biocon CEO Kiran Mazumdar Shaw tweeting about it, this stretch of road has become well-known.

Currently, the road is 9 to 12 metres wide, although it narrows to 6 metres towards Varthur village. "This stretch of road widening is part of a 'comprehensive development project'. It cost Rs 18 crore and began at the end of 2019. According to Jayashankar Reddy, executive engineer for the BBMP road infrastructure department, 60% of the project has already been finished. The remaining work could take another six months.

After finishing the section from Kadubeesanahalli to Panathur, the municipal body is now having problems with property owners who want cash compensation rather than Transferable Development Rights (TDR), according to Reddy. Although some owners have agreed to TDR, Palike officials claim it will take time to issue TDR certificates because the government has not yet developed a new policy on the subject.

Residents of the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quarters in Varthur are also causing problems for the Palike. "The process of shifting the people is underway. The traffic situation would improve after the construction is over," the official predicted. The 5.9 km of road would include two major lanes, sidewalks and drains on either side, streetlights, and one railway underbridge close to Panathur, according to the BBMP document.

There will be a total of 143 private properties acquired, 11 public assets, and 3 commercial properties.

According to BBMP authorities, the beginning point from Panathur RUB to East End point — Varthur-Gunjur road — will be through if financial compensation for private property owners is resolved.