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The tunnel would be built at an estimated cost of around Rs 8,100 crore, or approximately Rs 450 crore per km. (Photo: India Today)
Bengaluru plans to build an 18-kilometer underground tunnel connecting Hebbal with the Central Silk Board by early 2025, to reduce travel times and city congestion.
An 18-kilometer underground tunnel road is about to be built in Bengaluru, also referred to as India’s Silicon Valley, bringing an end to the city’s bad traffic.
According to reports, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) programme intends to ease the city’s chronic traffic congestion, which is aggravated during the monsoon and festive seasons due to inadequate infrastructure and public transport.
As per BBMP sources, the underground tunnel is expected to be completed by January 1, 2025, at an estimated cost of about Rs 8,100 crore, or about Rs 450 crore per km.
The tunnel, which would run from the Esteem Mall in Hebbal in north Bengaluru to the Central Silk Board intersection in the south, will include additional entry and exit locations strategically placed around the city. This network will offer seamless communication, decreasing the current journey time between Hebbal and Central Silk Board from over an hour to just 20-25 minutes, according to reports.
Furthermore, the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) quarters at Central Silk Board in Lalbagh, the Bangalore Golf Club, Palace Grounds, and adjacent government land near Esteem Mall in Hebbal are all important entry and exit points.
The tunnel, which stands 10 metres tall, will allow vehicles to travel at speeds ranging from 40 to 60 kilometres per hour. Notably, a user fee will be established for maintenance purposes, however, the exact amount is unknown at this time.
“According to our feasibility report, there are 15 congestion points between Hebbal Esteem Mall and Central Silk Board Junction that diagonally move inside the city. So, to control this, the best alternative is a tunnel road,” BBMP Chief Engineer BS Prahalad said as quoted by India Today.
Currently, Bengaluru’s traffic congestion is partly due to its quickly rising population.
“The other alternative could have been the construction of elevated corridors, but that would involve way more felling of trees, land acquisition, and most importantly, traffic would be disrupted for the next 3–4 years,” BBMP Chief Engineer Prahalad added. He went on to explain “So the best economic alternative that is long-lasting and scientifically proven is tunnel road construction.”
