Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway at a public rally in Mandya district in poll-bound Karnataka. The 118-km-long expressway will reduce the travel time between Bengaluru and Mysuru from three hours to about 75 minutes.
addressing the crowd, PM Modi said, “In the last few days, the images of the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway have gone viral on social media. Youth are taking immense pride in witnessing the growth of our nation. All these projects will open up the pathways of prosperity and development.”
Further, the PM noted that Bengaluru and Mysuru are important cities in Karnataka. One is known for technology while the other is known for tradition. It is quite significant to connect both the cities through technology.
PM Modi’s mega roadshow
Ahead of the inauguration, PM Modi held a mega roadshow in Mandya where he received a grand welcome from BJP workers and supporters. Videos of the roadshow showered PM Modi throwing the flower petals back at the BJP workers and supporters as smiled and waved at them. PM Modi’s car was drenched in yellow flower petals as Mandya greeted him with a grand welcome.
Thousands of people lined up along the streets of Mandya to extend a warm welcome to the Prime Minister, who waved back at them as his convoy undertook a 2-km roadshow. This is his sixth visit to the poll bound Karnataka.
Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway to cut travel time
The construction of the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway was started in 2018 and has been completed in a record time of just over two years, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 119-km corridor is a six-lane stretch, along with two-lane service roads on either side of the expressway, making it a 10-lane corridor. It has 69 bus bays, 49 underpasses, 13 overpasses, and fencing along both sides to ensure free and unrestricted travel. Bikes autos and other slow-speed vehicles will not be allowed on the high-speed expressway. It will also have two toll plazas and a service road.
The expressway has been constructed as part of the Union Government’s flagship Bharatmala Pariyojana (BMP) in two phases. The first section measuring 61 km is between Nidaghatta and Mysore and the second one is 58 km between Bengaluru and Nidaghatta.
The Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway is part of the larger Bengaluru-Chennai expressway project, which is being constructed at a cost of Rs 8,200 crore. The project aims to improve connectivity between the two major cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, as well as boost economic growth in the region.
This is PM Modi’s sixth visit to the state. Assembly elections in the Karnataka are due in April-May.
