Yeshwanthpur–Mattikere double-decker rail project

Bengaluru: The Adani Group is set to make its entry into Bengaluru’s suburban railway project, with its group company Semindia Projects Ltd emerging as the lowest bidder for the construction of a 1.2-km double-decker corridor between Yeshwanthpur and Mattikere. Semindia Projects, a part of the Adani Group, has quoted ₹665.61 crore for the project, against the estimated cost of ₹671.65 crore proposed by the Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Company (K-RIDE). The company’s bid is lower than those submitted by other participating firms, making it the frontrunner for the contract.

K-RIDE had invited tenders for the work last month as part of the Mallige Corridor-2, which runs between Benniganahalli and Chikkabanavara. The proposed project involves the construction of a 1.2-km double-decker structure between Yeshwanthpur and Mattikere. The elevated structure will accommodate the suburban railway viaduct and an elevated railway station, while the road deck below will facilitate the movement of buses, cars and two-wheelers. The package also includes associated approach and exit sections, a Y-loop ramp and multimodal integration works.

Railway and road corridor on two levels

The double-decker arrangement is designed to address the shortage of available road space in the densely populated Yeshwanthpur area. By placing the railway and road infrastructure one above the other, the project is expected to improve traffic movement while enabling the suburban rail network to pass through the busy corridor.

The arrangement is similar in concept to double-decker infrastructure already seen in parts of Bengaluru, where road and rail or metro infrastructure are accommodated within the same vertical space. The larger Mallige Corridor-2 project covers approximately 7.8 km between Benniganahalli and Chikkabanavara. The Yeshwanthpur–Mattikere section is considered one of the key engineering components of the corridor.

The development comes shortly after Adani Enterprises emerged as the L1 bidder for the proposed Bengaluru tunnel road project, one of Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s ambitious infrastructure initiatives. However, the contract for the tunnel road project is yet to be formally awarded. With Semindia Projects now emerging as the lowest bidder for the suburban railway package, the Adani Group could potentially take up another major infrastructure project in Bengaluru.

The Bengaluru suburban railway project is being implemented jointly by the Central and Karnataka governments through K-RIDE. Once the tender process is completed and the work order is issued, the civil works are expected to be completed within 24 months, according to the project timeline.The Yeshwanthpur–Mattikere double-decker corridor is expected to play an important role in integrating suburban rail with Bengaluru’s existing road network while easing pressure on one of the city’s busiest traffic corridors.

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The Hans India