Seven years after BDA laid out the first plan of Phase I of PRR (Peripheral Ring Road), the project is nowhere close to taking off, due to land acquisition issues. After many changes in length, alignment and cost made over the years, BDA – the executing agency for the project – gave the final alignment in 2007. BDA now plans to hold a meeting with the Chief Minister to discuss compensation for land acquisition.

"We cannot acquire land or float tenders without arriving on a formula for compensation. This will be discussed in the meeting with CM," says BDA PRO Dr K Puttaswamy. The 65-km-long Phase I connects Tumkur Road to Hosur Road, intersecting Bellary road, Old Madras road and Sarjapur road along the way.

PRR alignment

R K Misra, member of Chief Minister’s ABIDe (Agenda for Bangalore Infrastructure and Development Task Force) says that there is no clarity on when or how the works will start. "The alignment has been redrawn so many times, and the planning is poor. Farmers, who will be affected by acquisition, will not give away their land until they are compensated adequately," he says.

Meanwhile, many builders are developing properties in the area, advertising PRR as major attraction. Real estate agent Santosh Bhurani says that most builders make PRR a selling point in their brochures for new developments along the road. "There is no clarity from the builders’ groups or government side about whether the road will be only an access road (fully fenced, without entry points) or if it will connect to other roads nearby. But builders advertise saying that PRR itself will provide access to the city or that the nearby roads would get wider after PRR opens. But there are not many takers for this as people are unwilling to wait until the road is built," he says.

Azhar Ullah Khan, PRO at Edifice Builders, says that most people buy apartments in these areas for long term investment. Edifice has two projects – Almond Tree and a luxury housing project named Villa Valley – along PRR alignment near Yelahanka. "Sobha and Arun Developers also have projects nearby. All builders market on the basis of proposed PRR, though no one is sure of how the road would be. But more offices like Manyata Tech Park are coming up here, so the area is already developing and land value is appreciating. In Almond Tree, 85% of apartments have already been booked," he says.

The plan for Phase II, which connects Hosur Road to Tumkur Road, intersecting Bannerghatta road, Mysore road and Magadi road, is not yet finalised. Discussions continue about connecting the existing NICE Ring road (which runs along the same route as Phase II) to PRR Phase I to complete the ring. Since NICE road runs close to the proposed Phase II alignment, experts opine that Phase II would not be necessary. Misra says that ABIDe is pushing for the plan to connect NICE with Phase I.

Alignment of PRR Phase I (plan)

While BDA website documents do not say why PRR was needed in the first place, earlier media reports say that the project was conceived with the aim of reducing traffic and for development of peripheral areas. PRR links major highways, creating a direct corridor passage around the city, and most trucks and long distance buses would prefer it instead of Outer Ring Road (ORR). PRR is expected to reduce traffic in ORR.

Phase I starts from Makali, adjacent to Tumkur road. PRR moves north-east towards Thammenahalli and Soladevanahalli, which are mainly agricultural areas, but with the exception of a mixed residential area in Kuduregere and some protected land in some areas. The road intersects SH-39 at Soladevanahalli, and some protected land in Kuduregere, Thammenahalli and Soladevanahalli.

Further up in Kempapura and Dodda Bylakere, the road goes along the borders of the green belt area. After Dodda Bylakere, the road enters agricultural land in the green belt area. It goes through the green belt area, passing through Mavallipura sewage treatment plant, before entering Jarakabandekaval forest. It also intersects one primary urban road.

The road then enters fully residential areas in Ramagondanahalli and Avalahalli. It then intersects Doddballapur road near BMS Institute of Technology, around 3 km from the periphery of Yelahanka Satellite Town. Passing through KEB layout, the road goes further east through residential areas, intersecting Bellary road (NH 7) at Hosahalli.

The road then enters agricultural areas in Kogilu, and moves south along residential and industrial areas in Agrahara, Thirumalenahalli, Bellahalli and Doddagubbi.

In Ramapura, the road again moves along the border of green belt, separating agricultural and residential areas.

Further south-east, the road traverses residential areas in Hirandahalli, intersects Old Madras Road (NH 4) near Sree Mahalakshmi Venkateswara School in Avalahalli. The road passes through commercial areas in Avalahalli for about 2.5 kms, passes through residential areas near Weavers Colony, and goes further down to intersect SH-35 near Govt Primary School in Shigehalli. It then goes through Kumbena Agrahara towards Kadugodi.

In Kadugodi, PRR intersects the railway line near Kadugodi Milk Federation Society. Most areas around the alignment here are agricultural, with some mixed residential areas in between.

Moving down, it cuts across Channasandra main road in Channasandra, and curves west through the residential areas in Nagondanahalli and Hagaduru. It then goes through green belt border in Sorahunase and Varthur.

In Varthur, the road passes along mixed residential areas and Varthur lake, and goes further down through agricultural areas. It intersects SH-35 near Kachamaranahalli. Around 3.5 kms further south-west, it cuts across Sarjapur road in Sulikunte. All areas around this stretch are agricultural lands.

The road then curves south-west towards Gattihalli, Huskuru and Chikkanagamangala. It cuts across both residential and agricultural lands here. Going further south-west, the road moves along the periphery of the industrial areas of Electronic City. It enters Electronic City and intersects with Hosur Road (NH-7) near Suvidya College in Hebbagodi. ⊕