Bengaluru plans 190-km tunnel road: Will it help tackle traffic woes?

A 190-km tunnel has been proposed to ease traffic congestion in Bengaluru. The state government will be inviting public tenders for it within 45 days. The government has decided to file a global tender to take up the ambitious project for the traffic-dense city. The tunnel road, which will cost a staggering Rs 50,000 crore, will reduce travel time between the city’s five major arterial roads to just 20 minutes. Here’s what to expect. A tunnel road Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said, “A 190-km long tunnel road has been proposed to combat traffic congestion in Bengaluru and eight companies have qualified for it. These companies will submit a feasibility report and we are preparing to call for public tenders within 45 days,” addressing a press conference at Vidhana Soudha. These companies will study and report on how the tunnel road should be, whether it should be four or six lanes, from where it should begin and end, and a decision also needs to be taken on whether it should be expanded across the city, he added, saying, the company that will be selected as a consultant will submit a detailed report on the same. The tender does not specify that the repair must solely be a tunnel road. “To prepare a comprehensive traffic management plan for the proposal of vehicular tunnel/grade separator/road-widening in selected corridors,” according to the tender document, as reported by The Hindu. The chosen company will have two months to develop a detailed feasibility study (DFS) and recommendations for these high-density corridors. [caption id=“attachment_13211232” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The state government will be inviting public tenders for it within 45 days. File image/PTI[/caption] Shivakumar, who holds the Bengaluru City Development portfolio, said that since the project is of a very large scale and requires a huge amount of funding, it has to be done in several stages. “We have proposed 190 km for now. Bellary Road, Old Madras Road, Esteem Mall Junction to Mekhri Circle, Miller Road, Chalukya Circle, Trinity Circle, Sarjapur Road, Hosur Road, Kanakapura Road to Krishna Rao Park, Mysore Road to Sirsi Circle, Magadi Road, Tumakuru Road to Yeshwantpur Junction, Outer Ring Road, Goraguntepalya, KR Puram, Silk Board areas have been identified. **Also Read: Why is everyone talking about Bengaluru's traffic jam? What went wrong?** “We have selected these areas on priority basis. The companies are going to study where and how this tunnel road can be made,” he said. He said Bengaluru needs at least a four-lane tunnel road. ‘Will resolve the issue of potholes’ Shivakumar also said that, with the monsoon season ending, chief engineers have been given the responsibility to exert pressure on contractors to quickly complete the most important priority works, including drainage for rainwater flow. Citing the huge traffic congestion on the Outer Ring Road in Bengaluru last week, Shivakumar said he has discussed the issue with the officials concerned and the traffic police. **Also Read: What is the congestion tax that Bengaluru is considering to reduce traffic?** He will visit Outer Ring Road on 7 October. He also said that Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike engineers should work with the help of traffic police to address the issue of potholes. At the places indicated by the traffic police, BBMP should quickly fill potholes, so that they cause no accidents. The public can also inform the BBMP Commissioner about the potholes, he said, adding, “When it rains, it is normal to get potholes. Such roadblocks will be repaired immediately in important areas of the city,” he added. [caption id=“attachment_13211242” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The tunnel road, which will cost a staggering Rs 50,000 crore, will reduce travel time between the city’s five major arterial roads to just 20 minutes. PTI[/caption] When asked whether the state would seek the Centre’s help in easing Bengaluru’s road congestion, he said, “Of course we will seek help from the Centre. Once these proposals are submitted, we will submit the proposal to the Centre. “I have already met and discussed with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Vehicles arrive in Bengaluru through the National Highway and cause traffic congestion… I have discussed this matter with him. He also gave me advice and responded positively,” the deputy chief minister said. Minimum two years to complete A senior civic official told The Hindu that the tunnel road project if found feasible and selected, is still in its early stages. “Once the selected consultant develops a DFS and a proposal for interventions along these 12 high-density corridors, it must be debated and approved by the State government, after which a company will be tasked with preparing the detailed project report (DPR), after which we must divide the project into several phases and issue contracts for the works.” This will take at least two years longer, according to the official. He also added that the government will require several thousand of crore to fund the project, which will take time. With inputs from PTI