BENGALURU: Billed as a solution to Bengaluru’s traffic crisis, the estimated Rs 22,000-crore tunnel road between Hebbal and Silk Board will create more traffic snarls than it claims to fix.
The project, backed by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar as a flagship intervention against the city’s chronic congestion, would create “16 new gridlock” points at just eight entry and exit ramps — where U-turns and merging traffic are expected to worsen surface-level bottlenecks.
As per the illustrations in the final Detailed Project Report (DPR) accessed by The New Indian Express, the already congested areas such as Hebbal Flyover, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Maharani College Junction, Freedom Park surroundings, Wilson Garden junction near Ashoka Pillar and Hosur Road, where the proposed entry and exit points are planned, may see additional traffic woes.
The DPR (Volume-V) by Rodic Consultants Private Limited also makes no estimate of how much of the city’s total traffic the tunnel will absorb. Further, it does not mention the average distance that tunnel users will be compelled to travel.
Based on BBMP’s feasibility data, prepared by Altinok, a commuter using the Bengaluru tunnel will not just travel the tunnel’s core length of 16.68 km, but will also cover an average additional distance of 2.23 km due to entry and exit ramps - 1.14 km at the entry and 1.09 km at the exit.
Bottlenecks at tunnel road entry, exit points likely, says urban expert
This means the actual journey through the tunnel will be close to 18.91 km one way. On top of this, commuters may also have to travel extra distance on surface roads just to reach the ramp or after exiting it, depending on where their trip begins or ends. So the total distance and time for many users will be even longer than 19 km, making the tunnel far less efficient than it appears on paper. Pointing out that the project would create 16 gridlocks, Rajkumar Dugar, Founder of Citizens for Citizens (C4C), warned that the tunnel will end up increasing commute time.
“Even those who don’t use the tunnel will equally face more congestion. The ramps will force vehicles to merge at sharp angles, surface roads will get narrower, and new U-turns will choke existing junctions. Entry and exit chaos is guaranteed—like what we see at toll booths,” he said. Urban Expert V Ravichandar said the tunnel entry and exit points may face bottlenecks due to overcrowding, significantly reducing the time savings commuters expect from the tunnel stretch.
Based on BBMP’s feasibility data, prepared by Altinok, a commuter using the Bengaluru tunnel will cover an average additional distance of 2.23 km, apart from core length of 16.68 km. The actual journey through the tunnel will be close to 18.91 km one way.
Three components of travel
1. Commute through the Tunnel – the main tunnel stretch of 16.68 km fully/partly.
2. Commute along Entry & Exit Ramps – adds an average of 2.23 km to every trip (1.14 km for entry + 1.09 km for exit).
3. Commute to reach the entry ramp and after exiting the Exit Ramp – additional surface travel depending on the commuter’s actual starting point and final destination.
Major gridlocks
1. Hebbal - Congestion expected ahead of Entry 1&2 on Hebbal Flyover. U-turn traffic below the Airport Flyover at Kodigehalli to add to delays.
2. Sadashivanagar to Dairy Circle - To enter from Sadashivanagar, nearest entry - near TV Tower (Mehkri Circle). Must cross Mehkri Circle, past the ramp, take a U-turn, then the tunnel. To reach Dairy Circle after exiting - exit near Sarjapur Road or Hosur Road - Must go ahead, take another U-turn, come back past the ramp to go to Dairy Circle.
3. Vidhana Soudha - Severe traffic likely near Entry 6, especially around Maharani’s College Junction. Vehicles to enter the tunnel will create a bottleneck.
4. Basaveshwara Circle & Freedom Park - Additional congestion expected after Exit 3 and Exit 4. Vehicles from the tunnel will choke roads near Chalukya Circle and Freedom Park.
5. Lalbagh (Siddapura Road) - Stretch from Ashoka Pillar Junction to Wilson Garden Junction to face increased congestion by vehicles entering/exiting tunnel ramps in this narrow corridor.
6. St John’s / Central Silk Board (CSB) End - No entries/exits near Dairy Circle/ Forum Mall. Tunnel traffic forced to converge near St John’s/Hosur Road. Will lead to heavy congestion in front of St John’s Hospital/Hosur Road. Forced U-turns near entry/exit ramps to worsen traffic.