Bengaluru: BMRCL Submits DPR For 2 Corridors Of Namma Metro Phase 3 To State Government For Approval, Will Cover 44.65 km And Cost Rs 16,333 crore

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has submitted the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for two corridors of Phase 3A project of Namma Metro to the state government for its approval.

The Corridor One of Phase 3A is proposed as a 32.15 km stretch from J P Nagar IVth Phase in southern side of city to Kempapura near Hebbal in the northern end. The Corridor Two is envisaged to be a 12.5 km stretch from Hosahalli to Kadabgere on Magadi Road.

While the fully-elevated Corridor One will comprise of 31 stations, the Corridor Two with feature nine stations.

For the Corridor One, metro stations are planned at JP Nagar (IV, Vphases), Kamakhya bus depot, PES Institute of Technology, Nagarbhavi Circle, Sumanahalli Cross, Hosakerehalli Cross, Kanteerava Studio, Peenya, BEL Circle, Mysuru Road, and Hebbal on the JP Nagar-Hebbal section...

For the Corridor Two, Stations are likely to come at Hosahalli, Sumanahalli Cross, Herohalli, Vinayak Nagar, Byadarahalli, Sunkadakatte, and Kadabagere on the Magadi Road section.

The 44.65-km project, comprising both the corridors, will have six interchange points.

According to BMRCL estimates, the project will cost Rs 16,333 crore and set to be completed by 2028. The new cost estimates represents an upward revision from an earlier estimate of Rs 13,185 crore.

BMRCL roped in Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) to prepared the detailed project report (DPR) for two corridors of the Phase 3A project.

“Due to inflation and overall escalation of costs, it is expected to cost Rs 16,333 crore in six years time, when it approaches its deadline for operations,” The New Indian Express quoted an unnamed BMRCL official as saying.

As part of Phase 3A alignment, BMRCL will also build a flyover below the existing elevated metro corridor for the smooth flow of the traffic on the ORR and reduce waiting time for traffic below the Sarakki junction significantly for other motorists. Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) was earlier set to build this flyover. But BBMP and BMRCL later agreed to execute the flyover construction as part of the metro project.

In March this year, the BJP government in Karnataka unveiled plans to build a 37-km metro line between Sarjapur and Hebbal through Agara, Koramangala and Dairy Circle at a cost of ₹15,000 crore. This corridor is also likely to be part of Phase 3.

CM Basavaraj Bommai made the announcement while presenting his government’s maiden budget for the year 2022-23 in the Karnataka Assembly.

During his budget speech, CM Bommai said, "Action will be taken to prepare Detailed Project Report in the year 2022-2023 for construction of a new 37 km long new Metro line connecting Sarjapura to Hebbal through Agara, Koramangala and Diary Circle at an estimated cost of ₹15,000 crore."

On Apr 11, BMRCL invited tenders to appoint a consultant to create a Detailed Project Report for the Sarjapur-Hebbal line. In July this year, it awarded the contract for preparing DPR for the proposed Sarjapur-Hebbal metro line project to RINA Consulting, a Mumbai-based firm.

The ongoing phase 2 and proposed phase 3 Namma Metro will add at least 211.6 km to the existing network of 42.3 km that has been in operation since 2017 (built under Phase 1). Another 14 km under Phase 2 was commissioned in 2021 taking the total length of the network to 56 km. Two greenfield lines are set to be commissioned in 2023-24 and 2024-25. The K.R Puram- Airport line is likely to get commissioned by 2025-26.