The State Government has decided to construct and widen dedicated roads under the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in Bhubaneswar.

The bidding process for the first-phase work for the BRTS has been initiated and the roads would be in operation by the end of 2015, said Principal Secretary, Works Nalini Kanta Pradhan. 

The project is aimed at boosting urban transport and offer viable alternative for the public in the State capital city. The Union Ministry of Urban Development has sanctioned around Rs470 crore for the BRTS project under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

Development Commissioner Injeti Srinivas, at a high-level meeting held recently, finalised the project proponent of BRTS and asked the Works Department to go ahead with bidding process.

Pradhan said the tendering process for civil construction, barricading two lane dedicated roads and bus stops has begun. The entire civil work is estimated at Rs370 crore. The project is expected to be completed and the BRTS would be operational by the end of 2015.

In the first phase, 29.6 km of the existing roads would be converted into dedicated roads for seamless operation of AC buses. Though the roads from the Biju Patnaik International Airport to Nandankanan via Vani Vihar, Acharya Vihar and Sainik School have been planned to be upgraded and barricaded along with common roads, works for the roads from Sishu Bhawan to Vani Vihar via Master Canteen and Acharya Vihar, from Acharya Vihar to Jayadev Vihar to Kalinga Hospital Square and KIITS Square would be undertaken as pilot road

network.

On the existing roads, two lanes would be so designed that they would be only made available for AC buses. This would ensure faster, safer and comfortable transport for the public.

The BRTS projects are already operational in cities like Ahmadabad, Bhopal, Indore and some parts of New Delhi.

Earlier in the month of February this year, the Union Urban Ministry approved the BRTS project for Bhubaneswar. The project cost would be shared jointly by the Central and State Governments.

Sources said the State Government had engaged Ahmadabad-based Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) for preparation of a detailed project report (DPR), which has also been approved by the Government.

Besides, the Government has also planned to cover 34.5 km of road for converting into dedicated, barricaded roads in the second phase under the BRTS. The roads include Kalpana Chhak to Kalinga Nagar, Rajmahal Square, Apollo Hospital, Rasulgarh, Mancheswar, etc., the sources said.