BDA issues global tender for B'luru business corridor

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: On January 30, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) issued a global tender for the execution of the long-awaited 74-km Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) project, recently renamed the Bengaluru Business Corridor.

As per the tender document, the project involves developing an 8-lane Peripheral Ring Road with service roads, utilising the PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP) mode on a revenue-sharing basis for a lease period of 50 years.

The comprehensive Design, Build, Finance, Operation, and Transfer (DBFOTA) project encompasses the operation and maintenance of the road, including cloverleaf junctions, flyovers, underpasses, road overbridges/underbridges, toll plazas, transit zones, culverts, minor and major bridges, among other components.

The land acquisition for the project, covering approximately 2,560 acres, is estimated to cost around Rs 21,000 crore.

The 74-km road, spanning 100 meters, will comprise 232 acres of government land and the remaining area from private properties. This access-controlled expressway will connect Tumkuru Road and Hosur Road via various routes, including Hesaraghatta Road, Doddaballapur Road, Ballari Road, Hennur Road, Old Madras Road, Hoskote Road, and Sarjapur Road.

Initially proposed in 2007 to alleviate traffic congestion in the city's outskirts, the PRR project has witnessed a surge in its estimated cost from Rs 3,000 crore to Rs 21,091 crore and now stands at around Rs 27,000 crore due to delays in land acquisition and subsequent legal complications.

Despite two unsuccessful tender attempts in 2022, the BDA cites challenges in compensating farmers and affected landowners as a major hurdle. The new tender is scheduled to be opened on March 2, 2024