Karnataka marks future road network to avoid land crunch as Bengaluru expands

Karnataka is reserving land for hundreds of future road corridors around Bengaluru before residential layouts and other development occupy the space required for future transport infrastructure.

The roads will not be constructed immediately. Some could take five, eight or even 10 years to materialise, but the state government wants the identified corridors protected from new construction so they remain available as the surrounding areas become more urbanised.

Bengaluru urban development minister Krishna Byre Gowda said on Tuesday that new comprehensive development plans had been notified across Bengaluru Urban district outside the Greater Bengaluru Authority area, reported The Hindustan Times.

The notified plans identify road corridors with proposed widths of 30 metres, 45 metres and 90 metres.

“Some may come up after five years, eight years or even 10 years. What we are doing now is reserving the road corridors so that buildings, apartments and layouts do not come up on land that will be needed for roads in the future,” Gowda said.

The government said the move is intended to prevent a problem that has affected several parts of Bengaluru, where roads could not be widened because surrounding land had already been developed.

Gowda said Bengaluru had expanded significantly about two decades ago when 110 villages and seven City Municipal Councils were brought into the city, but transport infrastructure was not planned adequately for that growth.

As development spread into those areas, widening roads became difficult because buildings and other structures had already come up along the existing network.

The Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority, local planning and development authorities and other agencies are now working on the proposed road grid.

The BMRDA, Zilla Panchayat and Public Works Department have been asked to physically mark the identified corridors and determine which stretches should be developed first.

Gowda said Bengaluru itself covers about 750 sq km, while nearly 1,200 sq km around the city has already acquired an urban character. Citing expert reports, he said this could rise to around 1,400 sq km and eventually 1,800 sq km.

“We have to plan infrastructure before construction comes up everywhere,” he said.

The proposed network will connect taluk and hobli headquarters, major district roads and state highways with larger transport routes, including the Peripheral Ring Road and Satellite Town Ring Road.

The road network could eventually extend to thousands of kilometres and will be developed in phases.

The government said most of the newly identified corridors pass through open areas. Satellite imagery has been used to identify alignments while attempting to avoid existing settlements.

“Around 90 to 95% of the newly marked stretches are through greenfield or open areas,” Gowda said.

The reservation does not mean that land will immediately be acquired.

Agricultural activities and the sale of land can continue, but new construction will not be permitted within the notified road corridors. Properties that already have approvals will retain their rights.