Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway widening to be taken up in current fiscal itself

New Delhi: Union Ministry of Road Transport will take up the widening of the Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway (NH 275) from existing four-lane to six-lane in the current financial year itself. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will invite bids for project before the end of this fiscal to widen the existing four-lane highway into a six-lane one, besides constructing a service roads along the entire stretch and bypasses and flyovers at key towns. This project will be developed under Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM). As per HAM, the NHAI will release 40% of the total project cost and the balance 60% is arranged by the developer. In the HAM, the developer usually invests not more than 20-25% of the project cost (as against 40% or more before), while the remaining is raised as debt from financial institutions. The Ministry of Road Transport, a few months ago started awarding the road projects under HAM mode to ensure early completion of the project. Though the NHAI on Dec.6, 2016, invited tenders for taking up work on widening this stretch of highway under Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer basis, the Government cancelled it by saying that fresh bid will be invited under HAM model. As per the plan, Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway development work includes construction of a 10-lane road, including the main six-lane Expressway which will be tolled and a service road with two lanes on either side of the Highway without toll. Once realised, commuters between Bengaluru and Mysuru can travel the distance in just about 90 minutes from the present three hours. In addition, flyovers will be constructed at Bidadi and Srirangapatna, besides bypasses at Ramanagaram, Channapattana and Mandya. According to the NHAI assessment, a total of 2,220 acres have to be acquired for the project. The total cost of the project will be revealed during the bidding and it is estimated that cost will be around Rs. 4,100 crore.