170-km of tunnels, flyovers and double-deckers: Blueprint to decongest Bengaluru traffic unveiled
Sixteen elevated corridors and two tunnels have been proposed as part of the Comprehensive Bengaluru City Traffic Management Infrastructure Plan.
As per the pre-feasibility report, the travel time on the north-south tunnel corridor from Hebbal to Silk Board Junction is expected to be reduced from 90 minutes to just 20 minutes. (Express File/Representative Photo) The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Friday published the final feasibility report on the Comprehensive Bengaluru City Traffic Management Infrastructure Plan prepared by Altinok Consulting Engineering. The report consists of a detailed feasibility study on the proposed 170-km network of tunnels, double-decker passageways, elevated corridors and underpasses to streamline mobility and decongest Bengaluru traffic.
The study proposes traffic management and road infrastructure solutions in terms of vehicular tunnels, grade separators, and road widening in selected corridors. As part of the plan, 16 elevated corridors and two tunnels have been proposed. The total length of elevated corridors/ double deckers/ underpasses amounts to 124.7 km. Meanwhile, the total length of tunnels (north-south and east-west) amounts to 46 km.
Some of the important elevated corridors include Yeshwanthpura-KR Puram (27 km), Shoolay Circle to Madiwala junction (7.4 km), Marenahalli main road to Thalaghatapura NICE Road (10.5 km), Swami Vivekananda Metro Station-Madiwala (10 km), proposed additional link road to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), elevated corridor from Outer Ring Road-Hennur Main Road to Bagalur junction (15 km) and Nagawara-Bagalur main road (15 km).
Meanwhile, the proposed double-decker corridor with Phase 3 Metro line connects Hosahalli to Kadabagere (13 km), and a double-decker corridor connects BEL Road and Yeshwanthpur Railway station (2.2 km). Further, a tunnel road of 18 km is proposed from Hebbal to Silk Board (north-south) and KR Puram to Nayandahalli (east-west, 28 km).
As per the pre-feasibility report, the travel time on the north-south tunnel corridor from Hebbal to Silk Board Junction is expected to be reduced from 90 minutes to just 20 minutes. The report also indicates that the north-south tunnel corridor faces infringement with the proposed alignment of the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) in nine places, besides infringement with the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project in two places. The total cost estimated is around Rs 15,000 crore.
KR Puram-Nayandahalli double-decker tunnel
The report also highlights the proposal of a double-decker tunnel — with three lanes at the lower deck and two lanes at the upper deck — connecting KR Puram and Nayandahalli. The total length of the east-west corridor of the project is 28 km. The two-deck system consists of the upper deck connecting KR Puram to Nayandahalli Circle and the lower deck connecting Nayandahalli Circle to KR Puram.
The tunnel corridor also consists of an important intersection at the Lalbagh Botanical Garden where the Metro line, east-west and north-south tunnel corridors converge. The total cost of this tunnel corridor is around Rs 8,913 crore.
Environmental impact of tunnels and road infrastructure work
The report states that the tunnel corridor will reduce noise pollution, have minimal impact on the surface environment and cause minimal disruption to the ecosystem. It also highlights that the construction of tunnels using tunnel boring machines is largely confined underground with no such impact on daily life.
On maintenance, the report states that although maintenance of tunnels can be challenging, modern monitoring and maintenance technologies can manage these tasks effectively.
The report also suggests that the review of environmental regulations indicates that the road infrastructure project requires prior environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC). “However permission for cutting the trees within the proposed right of way of the project road will be required from the forest department,” the report suggests.
In addition, it says a no-objection certificate and consents are required under the Air Act, Water Act, EP Acts, and Noise Rules from Karnataka SPCB (State Pollution Control Board) for establishment and operations. It also states that the contractor should prepare and approve an emergency action plan for responding to accidents involving fuel and lubricants before construction starts.
However, many mobility experts have expressed displeasure with the proposal of tunnel roads stating that it is against a sustainable mode of transportation. On December 4, an online petition campaign by civic activists and urban planners urged the Karnataka government to reconsider its decision to implement two high-cost infrastructure projects — the Bengaluru Tunnel Road and the proposed Sky-Deck tower — calling them misplaced priorities amid pressing social and environmental concerns. The Tunnel Road and Sky Deck protests are the two ambitious projects of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar under the Brand Bengaluru initiative.
Kathyayini Chamaraj, executive trustee of CIVIC Bangalore who has spearheaded the online campaign, argues that these projects cater primarily to the city’s 23 lakh private car owners, representing a mere 2.8 per cent of Karnataka’s 7 crore population. “Spending Rs 16,500 crore to serve a minority when basic needs like healthcare, education, and water security remain underfunded is an injustice,” she said.
Vishwanath S, director of Biome Environmental Solutions and a civil engineer, said: “The construction of the tunnel road would have far-reaching environmental implications with the major one being groundwater depletion. Bengaluru is already grappling with a water supply crisis and if at all the tunnel roads are constructed, the groundwater depletion would be significant. The tunnel road construction will impact the aquifer, which recharges borewells and groundwater, thus disrupting the overall groundwater supply.”
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