Sunday, April 19, 2009

NICE Expressway

An indication of the progress that is being made as far as the roads infrastructure in India goes. These are photos of an access controlled expressway connecting Hosur Road to Bannerghatta Road, Kanakapura Road, SH 17 Mysore highway, and on to Tumkur Road. It is a tolled road, and there was some controversy over the fact that the rates were much higher than what is being charged elsewhere.
NICE as in Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise.

The Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project has been conceived as massive infrastructure/urban development scheme, (BMIC) promoted by M/s Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise Ltd. (NICE).
These photos, are of the expressway connecting Kanakpura Road and the Bangalore-Mysore state highway SH 17 and the National Highway 7 at Neelamangala. This is a tolled, access-controlled highway, and the distance between Kanakpura and the NH7 exit is about 25 kms, for which the toll is Rs 50, or about Rs 2 per km. It is possible to cover this 25 km distance in about 15 minutes or less if the traffic and weather conditions permit, since the road is access-controlled and of good enough quality to permit driving at speeds of 100-120kph. Else a comfortable and safe speed of 80kph is recommended.
You have to be careful of traffic that moves very slowly - trucks for example, that often end up traveling at speeds of less than 40 kph, which could prove dangerous if you are driving at a high speed. Or cars that for some bizarre reason are driven by drivers who choose to drive not in one lane but occupy two lanes and at speeds of 40-50 kph.