Cabinet clears Rs.2,919 cr road contracts

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the six-laning of a 61-km stretch of the NH-275 between Mysuru and Nidagatta in Karnataka. The projected road is a section of the highway connecting the two prominent cities in the state, including Bengaluru-the commercial capital and Mysuru, and also the cultural capital linking Mangalore, Kodagu, parts of Kerala, to Bangalore at an investment of Rs.2,919.81 crore including the cost of land acquisition and pre-construction activities. The road passes through congested and thickly populated towns like Maddur, Mandya, and Srirangapatna. With the widening and improvement of the highway, the areas would experience greater economic growth resulting in higher employment opportunities for locals. The upgrading to six-laning along with seven-metre service roads on each side and construction of bypasses at Maddur, Mandya, and Srirangapatna, and grade-separating structures will greatly reduce the time and cost of travel, particularly of the heavy traffic plying in the region, said official sources.