Bengaluru-Chennai greenfield corridor by December, announces Nitin Gadkari

BENGALURU: Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday announced a double bonanza for Bengaluru, promising to inaugurate both the Greenfield Corridor between Bengaluru and Chennai and the Bengaluru Satellite Township Ring Road (STRR) project by December 2024, initiatives aimed at alleviating the city's notorious traffic congestion.He also said that the greenfield corridor will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Gadkari made the announcement at the valedictory event of the Karnataka BJP special state executive committee meeting on Thursday evening, stating that the STRR project, worth Rs 17,000 crore, will be completed by December 2024, a year ahead of schedule. The project, which was launched in June 2022, aims to connect the peripheries of Bengaluru and reduce traffic inside the city by 30%. The Rs 17,930 crore greenfield project, announced in 2018, has been in development for six years and is set to open by the end of this year, according to Gadkari.
The foundation stone for the STRR was laid in June 2022. The road will connect the peripheries of Bengaluru, passing through Dobbspet, Ramanagara, Magadi Road, Doddaballapur, Devanahalli, Hoskote, Sarjapur, and Hosur. The project is expected to reduce traffic within Bengaluru city by up to 30%.
The Bengaluru-Chennai greenfield corridor, worth Rs 17,930 crore, will reduce travel time between the two cities to just two hours. Gadkari also highlighted that Karnataka has received Rs 3.5 lakh crore worth of road transport works in the last decade, with every MP from the state receiving funding for their projects.
However, Gadkari rued that many road projects are stalled due to environment and forest clearances, and urged the state govt to expedite the process. He said there is no shortage of funds for projects, and that the Centre is willing to undertake Rs 2 lakh crore worth of road projects in Karnataka, subject to clearances. "The CM and deputy CM came to meet me yesterday regarding certain projects. I reiterated that there was no scarcity of funds for projects. In fact, I assured them Rs 2 lakh crore worth of road projects will be undertaken," he said.
In a veiled attack on the Congress, Gadkari also spoke about BJP's commitment to justice and equality for all castes and communities, and accused the opposition of indulging in appeasement politics. Gadkari also addressed the issue of Hindus being defamed by Congress in Parliament, asserting that the BJP believes in justice for all castes and communities, unlike opposition's appeasement politics.