Bangalore's digerati to lay their own infobahn

Expressway to be funded by software giants like Infosys and Wipro besides Siemens and HP.

Bangalore would get a Rs 360 crore four-lane elevated toll expressway to link it with a key job-spinning suburb as it moves to tackle traffic woes stemming from high growth, officials said on Monday.

The 9 km expressway from Bangalore to Electronics City will be partly funded by the association of its occupants, including software giants like Infosys Technologies and Wipro, besides units of Siemens and Hewlett-Packard.

Transport Minister TR Baalu said after meeting Karnataka government officials that he expected the foundation stone to be laid next April for the expressway, which will run above a six-lane highway.

"Within 18 to 22 months, the project will be completed," Baalu said. The project will be built by a new company in which Electronics City's members will hold 33 per cent equity and the National Highway Authority of India and the state government the remainder.