Karnataka government unveils ₹400-crore plan to upgrade Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road infrastructure | Bengaluru

The Karnataka government has set its sights on improving infrastructure along Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road (ORR), a key hub for multinational companies (MNCs) and start-ups. To address the frequent civic and infrastructure challenges in the area, the state has allocated ₹400 crore to upgrade the 22.7-kilometre stretch. Dr. Harish Kumar K, Special Commissioner (Finance) said that the project aims to bring ORR up to world-class standards through collaboration with the Government of Karnataka and the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd.

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According to a report in Deccan Herald, the initiative is part of a broader set of development projects announced in the budget. Prioritizing pedestrian safety, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has committed to constructing 1,000 kilometres of footpaths. These will be integrated into ongoing arterial and sub-arterial road projects and incorporated into all future road developments.

Additionally, the budget reaffirmed support for two major ongoing infrastructure efforts. The first is the white-topping of 157 kilometres of roads, with an estimated budget of ₹1,700 crore. The second involves asphalting 118 roads at a cost of ₹694 crore. To further bolster civic infrastructure, BBMP has earmarked ₹2.5 crore per ward for capital works and ₹50 lakh per ward for maintenance, adding up to a total allocation of ₹675 crore across 225 wards.

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The civic body has also announced new railway infrastructure projects, including a railway over-bridge at 1st Main Road in Kengeri and an under-bridge near Ramohalli Gate, with ₹20 crore set aside for these developments. Despite over two dozen manned railway crossings in the city, little effort has been made to systematically eliminate them by constructing railway overpasses. The latest budget signals a step towards addressing this gap in infrastructure planning.