The Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited (B-SMILE) has declined to award the contract for the ₹450-crore facelift of the Outer Ring Road (ORR) to the lowest bidder and has floated fresh tenders, inviting more companies to participate.

The move has forced the special purpose vehicle (SPV) to further delay the project, which was initially scheduled to begin by the end of June or early July. However, for commuters, the delay comes as a blessing in disguise, as they will not have to endure additional traffic disruptions during the monsoon.

Initially, the SPV had planned to asphalt only the main carriageway of the stretch while improving pedestrian infrastructure. However, before floating the first round of tenders, officials revised the plan and decided to white-top the entire 17.1-km stretch between Silk Board Junction and K.R. Puram to ensure long-term durability.

Interim relief

However, commuters and even the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) were divided over the timing of the project. A senior police officer pointed out that the stretch would have to remain only partially operational during the civic works, meaning that the entire corridor would witness bumper-to-bumper traffic at various points during the peak hours.

“The stretch already carries nearly double the volume of traffic it was originally designed to handle, leading to frequent and persistent snarls. If its capacity is reduced by half, it will disrupt vehicle movement along this stretch and impact the connecting roads,” the officer said.

In addition, since the SPV plans to white-top the stretch, the project will require at least eight to nine months to complete. The timing was particularly problematic, as the B-SMILE had planned to commence the works during the peak monsoon season, increasing the likelihood of severe traffic standstills that could have paralysed already congested connecting roads.

Adding to the concern, several pockets along the stretch witnessed severe flooding during recent rains, leading to major traffic disruptions and increasing fears that any ongoing civic works could further worsen the situation.

Metro relief

“We hoped the work would start after the Blue Line Metro launch, so commuters could use public transport and ease road congestion. However, the B-SMILE was committed to starting the project at the earliest,” a traffic police officer said.

On Friday, Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda announced that trial runs on the Blue Line Metro between Silk Board and K.R. Puram would begin by October, raising hopes that the line could be opened in early 2027.

A B-SMILE source told The Hindu that the fresh tender process would take at least three months and would subsequently require scrutiny by the B-SMILE board and the Karnataka Cabinet. Considering these procedures, the work is now expected to begin only by the end of November.

For now, commuters can heave a sigh of relief and hope that the delayed Blue Line becomes operational sooner to avoid spending more hours on the stretch, although traffic congestion will persist.

Ending the first tender

According to the B-SMILE source, the company that emerged as the lowest bidder had cleared board scrutiny and qualified in the technical evaluation. However, it did not own one of the mandatory machines required under the tender conditions.

“There was a condition in the tender that the concessionaire must own certain machines, and one of them was not owned by the company, forcing us to cancel the process at the last minute,” the source said.