Bengaluru’s long-awaited Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) project, which promises to alleviate freight congestion and enhance connectivity around the tech hub, has taken a significant step forward. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has recently issued tenders for five major packages, marking a crucial advancement in the 280-km expressway’s development.
These newly issued tenders pertain to 144 km of the STRR’s western segment, with an estimated total cost of Rs 4,750 crore. The proposed access-controlled, four-to-six-lane expressway, officially designated as NH-948A, aims to connect several suburban areas around Bengaluru, including Dobbaspet, Doddaballapur, Devanahalli, Sulibele, Hoskote, Anekal, Thattekere, Kanakapura, Ramanagara, and Magadi. Additionally, the route will extend to Hosur in Tamil Nadu, offering a vital bypass for trucks and commercial vehicles currently navigating Bengaluru’s congested central areas.
The STRR is designed to provide a significant alternative to the NICE Road, particularly benefitting truck traffic travelling from Tamil Nadu to Maharashtra and Gujarat. By facilitating a diversion at Dobbaspet, vehicles will be able to avoid entering Hosur and seamlessly connect to Tumakuru Road, thus streamlining freight movement. Furthermore, motorists travelling to Kempegowda International Airport from Hosur and Mysuru will experience reduced travel times due to this new corridor.
The breakdown of the latest tender packages is as follows: The first package includes the 46.3 km stretch from Obalapura (Nelamangala taluk) to Somakkanamutta (Magadi taluk), estimated at Rs 1,419 crore. The second package covers 32.7 km from Somakkanamutta to Kunigal (Ramanagara taluk), projected to cost Rs 825.1 crore. Additional packages include the 33.64 km stretch from Kunigal to Thattekere, costing Rs 978.9 crore; the 8.34 km segment from Thattekere to Bagganadoddi, priced at Rs 1,018.3 crore, which features an elevated highway through Bannerghatta National Park; and the final package connecting Bagganadoddi to S Mudugadapalli (23.27 km), estimated at Rs 507.39 crore. Notably, forest clearance for the Bannerghatta National Park section is still pending. However, NHAI officials have committed to implementing noise barriers to mitigate wildlife disruptions and ensuring construction activities occur during non-peak wildlife hours.
Originally proposed in 2005, the STRR project gained traction after being incorporated into the Bharatmala Pariyojna initiative, with a projected cost of Rs 17,000 crore. The NHAI will cover 60 per cent of the project cost, while the Karnataka state government will fund the remainder, predominantly for land acquisition. In 2016, the Karnataka government established the STRR Planning Authority, overseeing a planning area of 1,019 sq km, including 331 villages and 12 towns. The project’s foundational stone was laid by the Prime Minister in June 2022, and by March 2024, the first 80 km, comprising the Dobbaspete–Doddaballapur bypass and the Doddaballapur–Hoskote section, was inaugurated at a cost exceeding Rs 2,750 crore.
