Bengaluru civic body completes DPR for 18-km underground tunnel network: Report

Bengaluru’s civic body, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), has made swift progress on the city’s proposed six-lane underground tunnel road, completing its detailed project report (DPR) in just three months — a remarkable feat given that such projects typically take up to a year to finalize, the News18 reported. Estimated to cost around ₹16,500 crore, the ambitious 18-km corridor will link Hebbal in the north to the Central Silk Board junction in the south.
Designed to ease Bengaluru’s notorious traffic congestions, the project will deploy six massive Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) with a diameter of 14.7 meters, significantly larger than those used in the city’s Namma Metro railway construction.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who holds the Bengaluru development portfolio, highlighted plans to source these TBMs from China to cut costs by 10 per cent, noting that European models are significantly more expensive, the report said. BBMP aims to kick off construction within six months.
Drawing ideas from similar projects in cities like Mumbai, BBMP Engineer-in-Chief B S Prahlad spoke to the publication and explained that the tunnel will have well-placed entry and exit points to prevent bottlenecks. At the southern end near Central Silk Board, commuters will have exits onto the Outer Ring Road (ORR) and Hosur Road, while the northern end near Hebbal will provide exits toward KR Puram and Ballari Road. Key interchanges are also planned for Lalbagh, Mehkri Circle, and Race Course Road, the report stated.
The project will be funded through a public-private partnership model, with private contractors covering 70 per cent of the costs. The BBMP will raise the remaining funds through financing schemes, the publication noted.
While the project promises improved traffic flow, some experts are skeptical, suggesting that public transport such as the metro should take priority for long-term solutions.
Apart from the underground tunnel network project, the deputy chief minister has also proposed a sky deck in south Bengaluru to promote tourism.