Bengaluru Tunnel Road Project gets Cabinet nod amid opposition from citizens

The Karnataka cabinet approved the proposed Bengaluru Tunnel Road Project (North-South Corridor) —a 16.7-km long underground corridor from Hebbal (Esteem Mall junction) to Central Silk Board Junction, at an estimated cost of ₹17,780 crore amid stiff opposition from the opposition parties, citizens, urban planners and environmentalists.  

 

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who is also the Bengaluru development minister, said that global tenders would be floated for the project which will be implemented on BOOT (build-own-operate-transfer) or hybrid model. The tunnel road which will have multiple entry and exit points is likely to be completed in three years.

 

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya criticised the project as "unscientific" and a misuse of taxpayer money. He also pointed out that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) had ignored Bengaluru’s Master Plan 2031 and failed to coordinate with Metro phases 2B and 3A. Alleging that the project only prioritised real estate development over traffic management, Surya urged the government to abandon the tunnel project and focus on initiatives that “genuinely improve” Bengaluru's infrastructure. 

 

BJP MP from Bengaluru Central P.C. Mohan questioned the project's feasibility and utility while raising concerns over the Rs 14.2 crore spent on the DPR.  LOP R Ashok has accused the Congress government of diverting funds intended for Bengaluru infrastructure projects to the tunnel project.

 

A citizens group has launched a signature campaign labelling the project as "unconstitutional" for bypassing essential planning bodies like the Bangalore Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC) and the Bangalore Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA).

 

Geologist Dr. D. Paramesha Naik of Bangalore University has raised concerns over the geological challenges, including hard rock formations and groundwater disruption that could compromise tunnel stability and impact water sources.  Some experts predicted that the tunnel project could worsen the flooding situation in the city.

 

Urban planners and Bengaluru Residents Welfare Associations have criticised the “car-centric” development projects and have advocated for metro systems in place of the tunnels as the former offers higher passenger capacity.

 

The Bengaluru Bus Commuters Forum has sought investments in public transportation, expansion of bus fleet and metro services, instead of high-cost projects like the tunnel road. 

 

The proposed tunnel road project is estimated to cost RS 40,000 crore - the 18-km-long North-South corridor connecting Hebbal to Central Silk Board and the 28-km-long East-West tunnel connecting KR Puram with Nayandahalli (Mysore- road). However, only phase 1 has been approved by the cabinet for now.

 

Last Sunday’s deluge that left the different pockets of the city water-logged has led to citizens demanding a solution to upgrade the existing infrastructure instead of opting for new “vanity” projects. 

India