In good news for residents and those working in Whitefield, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has started laying tracks for the Baiyappanahalli-Whitefield metro line as part of the Purple Line extension. With this, the installation of rail tracks, as well as welding work, is being carried out on a 3-km stretch near Whitefield.
The report quotes contractors as saying that they are optimistic that around 3 km of track between Sitharama Palya (formerly known as Visvesvaraya Industrial Area) and Whitefield metro stations will also be done by October. Most of the work, including track laying work between KR Puram and Whitefield, is expected to be ready by March 2021, the report added.
However, Channappa Gowda, Special Land Acquisition Officer for BMRCL, told Bangalore Mirror that they are yet to acquire 57 properties needed for widening roads near the KR Puram Railway Station and Jyotipur underpass. Another issue that may be a hurdle to the metro line is that 60 trees in the Benniganahalli lake area need to be cleared and the case is currently being heard by the high court. This could further delay the timeline.
This is the third stretch of the Bengaluru metro in the phase II plan, which has already seen the Kanakapura Road and Mysuru Road metro extensions being completed. The metro station at Yelachenahalli will be extended to Anjanapura while the station at Mysuru Road will be extended to Kengeri.
Earlier, the inauguration of Baiyappanahalli-Whitefield line was to be done by December 2021 but a shortage of labour and a halt in construction this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed construction works. The 15km stretch is now expected to be completed by June 2022.
Along with the Baiyappanahalli-Whitefield line, three other metro lines were expected to be completed by 2021. This included the metro lines from Nagasandra to Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Gottigere to Swagath Road Cross, and RV Road to Bommasandra via Electronic City.