18-Km Underground Tunnel Road In Bengaluru Connecting Hebbal Flyover To Silk Board Junction Coming Soon

The Karnataka cabinet has approved the construction of Bengaluru's first tunnel road project, which is expected to cost an estimated Rs 12,690 crore. Announcing the decision, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil stated, "The cabinet has granted administrative approval for the tunnel road project, and the tender process will begin soon." The announcement was made following a cabinet meeting held on Thursday, August 22.

The 18 km twin-tube corridor, which will connect the Hebbal flyover to the Central Silk Board junction, was proposed by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. Despite facing criticism, Shivakumar has been a key advocate for the project. The government argues that the tunnel will offer a crucial alternative route, but experts warn it could worsen the city's traffic problems.

The tunnel will link Esteem Mall in Hebbal, located in north Bengaluru, to the Central Silk Board junction in the city's south. Featuring five entry and exit points, the new tunnel is expected to cut the current travel time of over an hour between Hebbal and Central Silk Board to just 20-25 minutes.

A tunnel road is typically an underground passageway designed to allow vehicles to travel through obstacles such as mountains or bodies of water. However, Bengaluru presents no such geographical challenges.

Experts argue that the city's traffic congestion stems from inefficient public transportation and a heavy reliance on private vehicles. They believe that building more roads will only encourage car ownership, leading to increased traffic congestion. "The focus should be on moving people, not vehicles," one expert, who has served on multiple state government advisory committees, told TNM. "By constructing the tunnel, the political class is essentially encouraging more private vehicle purchases, implying they will continue to find ways to accommodate them."

Critics also highlight the logistical challenges and potential environmental impacts of the tunnel project, including prolonged construction periods of up to 38 years and the significant tree clearance required for road widening. Additional concerns involve land acquisition issues and engineering risks such as frequent flooding due to Bengaluru's terrain.

Alongside the tunnel road approval, the cabinet also sanctioned the construction of a 250-meter-tall sky deck, budgeted at Rs 500 crore, aimed at boosting Bengaluru's tourism with panoramic city views. The location for this sky deck is yet to be finalized.