Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D K Shivakumar Tuesday proposed a new 1.5-km tunnel road between Esteem Mall and the Veterinary University to decongest the Hebbal junction. This comes even as the government is executing a tunnel road project between Hebbal and Silk Board junction covering a distance of 16.75 km.
Speaking to reporters during the inspection of the soon-to-be inaugurated the Yellow Line of Namma Metro, Shivakumar said, “A new tunnel road will be built from Esteem Mall to the (Veterinary) University on the Nagawara side of Hebbal. This will be placed before the cabinet soon. This 1.5-km-long tunnel road is separate from the main tunnel road and will be completed in two years.”
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) chief commissioner Maheshwar Rao, confirming the project, told The Indian Express, “The project is under consideration and will soon be placed before the cabinet. The new tunnel road is aimed at decongesting the Hebbal junction. The BBMP will execute the project and it will be integrated wherever possible as per the design, with the already proposed tunnel (Hebbal-Silkboard).” However, Rao did not disclose the financial modalities of the project.
Satya Arikutharam, an urban mobility expert, said, “These ad-hoc mobility projects will only lead to disaster. We need a revised comprehensive master plan for Bengaluru, and to actively establish the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) to streamline transport for Bengaluru. The only way to decongest the Hebbal junction is to speed up the Metro line to the airport. Once this gets completed, most of the airport-bound traffic will shift to public transport, significantly decongesting Hebbal junction.”
The new tunnel project comes even as the proposed Hebbal-Silkboard tunnel road project has received severe backlash from citizen groups, urban mobility experts and Opposition BJP leaders. They accuse Shivakumar of prioritising ‘vanity’ projects, which are ‘unscientific’ over sustainable public transport options.
Mobility experts also point out that the tunnel road project will only attract more private vehicles, leading to more congestion. Additionally, the final detailed project report of the proposed tunnel road also points out over 20 gridlock situations along the corridor without adequate infrastructure at exit and entry points.
Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited (B-SMILE) has invited international competitive bids for constructing a three-lane underground twin tunnel road from Hebbal to Silkboard. The pre-bid meeting on Monday saw participation from leading infrastructure and engineering companies.
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When asked about the BDA flyover at the Hebbal junction, Shivakumar said, “It will be inaugurated before August 15, based on the CM’s availability. For now, only the stretch from K R Puram to Mekhri Circle will be opened. The remaining part will be inaugurated later.”