Overhaul of Outer Ring Road to come with tough new quality controls

The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) finally seems to have found a way to put an end to the recurring problem of contractors laying substandard roads in the city.

In a first, B-SMILE has planned to introduce a new mandate requiring contractors to take on 10 years of maintenance liability for the makeover of the 17.01-km Outer Ring Road (ORR) stretch between Silk Board and K.R. Puram.

The Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will increase the Defect Liability Period (DLP), which currently stands at two years. To enhance the durability of the road, the use of Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA) will be made mandatory.

B.S. Prahallad, Technical Director of B-SMILE, told The Hindu the change is intended to address concerns over contractors using low-quality asphalt, which often leads to potholes and premature road deterioration.

“Now, the bid-winning contractor has to develop and maintain the entire stretch for 10 years, which will compel them to use high-quality asphalt. Such a system has never been implemented in Bengaluru, but we felt it is necessary for the ORR, as we intend to develop the stretch to global standards,” Mr. Prahallad said, adding that depending on the outcome, the system could be extended to other major stretches as well.

However, the newly outlined mandate will require Cabinet approval.

Implementation

Typically, the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) mandated two years of DLP and three years of maintenance liability. However, almost all asphalted roads would deteriorate early, prompting contractors to carry out repeated patchwork, resulting in a bumpy commute for motorists.

To enable long-term maintenance liability, B-SMILE will mandate Full Depth Reclamation (FDR).

Mr. Prahallad explained that earlier, contractors could easily claim that road deterioration was owing to a poor sub-base rather than surface quality. Contractors were previously required to carry out only overlay works (surface repairs).

“For the ORR, we will ask them to redo everything from scratch, which is FDR. This eliminates the possibility of contractors blaming a poor sub-base,” he added.

To ensure an additional layer of quality checks, the SPV will also require contractors to furnish documents showing where asphalt components were purchased. The move aims to prevent the use of low-grade asphalt mix. The SPV will mandate the use of VG30 bitumen.

Another B-SMILE official noted that the entire main carriageway will not be re-laid, which could pose future challenges, such as an uneven road surface. A road sketch document accessed by The Hindu shows that only 4 metres of the 10.5-metre main carriageway will be reconstructed, while the rest will undergo minor patchwork. The service lanes will be fully reconstructed.

Much attention

Mr. Prahallad explained that the ORR sees thousands of visitors daily and is a key IT corridor and major arterial stretch for the city. Therefore, the plan is to upgrade the stretch to global standards.

“Not just the roads, but we are also focusing on high-quality, international-standard walkways, cycle lanes, and ducts for cables. This will be a model road,” he added.

Additionally, B-SMILE will stop awarding the development and maintenance of bus shelters to private advertising agencies and will instead build state-of-the-art bus shelters throughout the stretch on its own.

The project is estimated to cost ₹450 crore and is likely to commence in February next year. If all goes as planned, the makeover will be completed by the end of next year. BMRCL is also targeting December 2026 for completing the Blue Line Phase 2A between Silk Board and K.R. Puram.