New Delhi:  Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday stated that the construction work of the 10-lane Bengaluru-Nidaghatta-Mysuru section of National Highway (NH)-275 is nearing completion and it will be thrown open to the public by October this year.

He said that the 117-kilometre long stretch in the state is being developed at a cost of Rs. 8,350 crore. It is a very important national highway as it connects two important cities in the state, i.e., Bengaluru and Mysuru. The highway connects important cities and parts of Karnataka and Kerala, including Mangaluru, Kodagu, and parts of Kerala, with the commercial capital of the state, Bengaluru.

The fully access-controlled highway, having the provision of four service lanes and paved shoulders for two-wheelers and autorickshaws on either side for the entire length, is the project highlight.

The union minister, in another tweet, further stated that the road will substantially reduce the travel time from Bengaluru to Mysuru from 3 hours to 75 minutes. It will enhance connectivity between the two important cities and provide an impetus to tourism and the economy in the region.

This state-of-the-art project has multiple structures like an 8-kilometre long elevated corridor, 9 major bridges, 42 minor bridges, 64 underpasses, 11 overpasses, 4 ROBs, and 5 bypasses, which will ease traffic congestion,  and significantly reduce pollution, he said.

The current four-lane road has already reached its capacity, causing traffic congestion and accidents. This road passes through heavily populated towns such as Maddur, Mandya, and Srirangapatna.

This project, which is now under construction and is a mix of brownfield-upgrade (60%) and greenfield (40%) construction, was planned as an alternative to the now-defunct Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) Road.

The Bharatmala Pariyojana (BMP)-the approved project has four railway overbridges (ROBs) and 50 underpasses for vehicles as well as for pedestrians. It has 19 big bridges and 44 small bridges. The work is divided into two phases, i.e., the 58 km between Bengaluru and Nidaghatta and the 61 km between Nidaghatta and Mysore. The minister stated once again that the work would be done by the deadline.

The route will have five bypasses: Ramanagar-Channapatna (22 km), near Maddur, a seven-kilometre-long bypass with a 3.5-kilometre-long elevated roadway, Srirangapatna (seven kilometres), Mandya (10 kilometres), and Bidadi (seven kilometres). The route will also include two toll booths, one in Kumbalgodu and one in Srirangapatna.

The first phase of road construction between Bengaluru and Nidaghatta in Mandya district will be ready by May, while the second phase between Nidaghatta and Mysuru will be ready by October this year.