Whitefield station’s location finalised

BENGALURU: The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has finalised the alignment of the Whitefield Metro station last week. After dilemma over whether to locate this terminating station on the right or the left of the upcoming Baiyappanahalli-Whitefield line (Reach I) of Phase-II, it has been decided to locate the station on the left side only, in front of the Whitefield police station.

The original plan was to have the Metro station on the left. Then it was shifted to the right, and now BMRCL has decided to go back to the earlier planned alignment itself. As a consequence, land acquisition process has still not begun for this stretch of Metro on Phase-II.
A top Metro official said,”If we locate it in along the police station side, it will be easy to extend it to Hosakote in future. It would not be possible if we have it on the right as the railway tracks will come in between. So, we will have it on the left only”.

BMRCL has now begun the process of writing to the Forest department to acquire 48 acres of land for this station as well as the Kadugodi depot. The only other portion where land is yet to be acquired for this Metro stretch is the other end of this line, between Baiyappanahalli and Jyotipuram station for which 4 acres are required, an official said. “Since the new K R Puram-Silk Board line was proposed after Phase-II was finalised, Baiyappanahalli  must now have two lines instead of one as this line and the K R Puram line need to be linked here. So, this acquisition too has got a bit delayed.  

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Express visited the entire 15.2-km stretch to take stock of the ongoing work.
Work has begun in full swing along the Baiyappanahalli-Whitefield stretch (Reach-I) of Namma Metro. Work which begun along this portion nearly two months ago is proceeding smoothly.  The firm ITD Cementation Limited has been awarded the construction contract for the entire stretch, which has been divided into Reach-1A and Reach-1B (see box).  

Work has not begun at Whitefield station while it is in different preliminary stages of construction at the other 12 stations. The maximum progress has been witnessed at K R Puram Metro station, which falls behind the Lowry Memorial College of the Seventh Day Adventist School. “All the 60 piles here have been completed. The reinforcing of the piles (pile capping) work is now on. Work has begun on four pillars too and the first of the pillars is expected to emerge shortly,” said spot engineers.

Asked about the disruption in traffic caused due to work on this busy stretch, an official said, “We are carrying out road widening works at all places before taking up construction work. We have barricaded the middle of the road near four proposed Metro stations where road widening has been completed: Mahadevapura, Jyotipura, Visvesvaraya Industrial Area and Kadugodi,”he added.
Many officials are confident of meeting the 2019 deadline.

Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield (Reach-I) 15.2 km
No of stations: 13
Completion deadline: 2019
Reach I has been divided into Reach1A and Reach1B

Reach-1A
(around 8 km)
Jyotipuram
K R Puram
Mahadevapura
Garudacharpalya
Doddanakunti
Visvesvariah Industrial Area

Reach IB
(around 7.2 km)
Kundanahalli
Vydehi Hospital
Sri Satya Sai Hospital
ITPL
Kadugodi
Ujwal Vidyalaya
Whitefield