Bengaluru’s Namma Metro is making significant strides in expanding its network. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is nearing the completion of land acquisition for the bulk of its ambitious Phase 3 project, also known as the Orange Line.
The project, spanning 44.65 km with two major corridors, is expected to significantly improve connectivity in the city.
The Union Finance Ministry has recently approved Bengaluru Metro’s Rs 15,611 crore Phase-3 project. Phase-3 of the metro project will span 44.65 km with two elevated corridors and a total of 31 metro stations.
The project is currently awaiting approval from the Union cabinet.
The first corridor, extending over 32.15 km along the western side of the Outer Ring Road, connecting J P Nagar’s fourth phase to Kempapura, will include 22 stations and will also connect to the Airport Line.
The second corridor, covering a distance of 12.5 km from Hosahalli to Kadabgere on Magadi Road, will feature nine stations.
Corridor 1 is set to run primarily along the western side of the Outer Ring Road, with private land mainly required for station construction and road-widening projects.
Initially, 777 private properties covering 1,29,743 square metres were identified for Corridor 1, but additional land requirements emerged for three stations: JP Nagar 5th Phase, Kamakhya Bus Depot, and Hosakerehalli.
“The land plan for Corridor 1 was finalised, but we received a request for additional land for three stations. We have identified the properties and will soon send a preliminary notification through the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB),” MS Channappagoudar, General Manager (Land Acquisition), BMRCL, reports Deccan Herald.
The identified properties include commercial structures, but notably, there are no major institutions or heritage buildings. The costs of land acquisition are still being calculated and may differ from the Detailed Project Report (DPR) estimates due to changes in land-use patterns, Channappagoudar added.
BMRCL is also examining the feasibility of building metro-cum-flyovers under Phases 3 and 3A. In Phase 3, there could be two double-deck flyovers: one from JP Nagar 4th Phase to Hebbal (29.2 km) and another from Hosahalli to Kadabagere (11.45 km).
To facilitate the construction of Phase 3’s viaducts and stations, the BMRCL has awarded geotechnical investigation contracts worth Rs 5.5 crore. The findings from these investigations will inform the terrain and machinery requirements and help contractors estimate construction costs, according to a senior BMRCL official.
The Phase-3 project is slated for completion by 2028. Phase-3 is expected to carry an average of 9.12 lakh passengers daily by 2051.