Karnataka govt’s mega 190 km tunnel project to solve Bengaluru’s traffic woes
Priority areas are the Bellary Road, Old Madras Road, Esteem Mall Junction to Mekhri Circle, Miller Road, Chalukya Circle, Trinity Circle, and several others.
The Karnataka state government, under the helm of Deputy Chief Minister, D K Shivakumar, is taking a new ambitious step towards addressing the persistent issue of traffic congestion in Bengaluru. They have recently announced a plan that involves the construction of a whopping 190 km tunnel to ease the city’s traffic.
Eight companies have been selected for preparing the feasibility report for this substantial project. Major considerations for these companies will be related to determining the specifications of the tunnel road such as:
- Number of lanes (four or six)
- Starting and ending points
- Possibility to extend it within the city based on need.
Multi-Stage Execution and Funding
Due to the colossal scale and financial requirements of the project, it will be implemented in several stages. According to D K Shivakumar, the areas that hold immediate priority are the 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 and several others. The Deputy Chief Minister emphasized that Bengaluru urgently needs a minimum of a four-lane tunnel road.
In his recent press conference, Shivakumar was quoted as saying:
“We are proposing the construction of a 190 km long tunnel road to address the traffic congestion in Bengaluru. We plan to issue public tenders for this ambitious project within the next 45 days.”
As the monsoon season is ending, there’s also a focus on accelerating key projects, especially drainage systems for rainwater.
Addressing the Traffic Congestion:
The Deputy Chief Minister acknowledged the extensive traffic congestion experienced on Bengaluru’s outer ring road last week: “I have talked with officials and traffic police to find a solution”. He anticipates inspecting the outer ring road firsthand on October 7.
“The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike engineers should collaborate with the traffic police to resolve the pothole issues. BBMP must swiftly patch up potholes, particularly in areas identified by the traffic police, to prevent accidents,” he added.
In addition to the government’s efforts, the cooperation of the public is also welcomed. Citizens are encouraged to alert the BBMP Commissioner about any potholes for immediate action.
Pleasant Reception at the Centre
While speaking about seeking aid from the Central government for alleviating road congestion in Bengaluru, Shivakumar responded positively, “We will indeed seek assistance from the Centre. Once these proposals are ready, we will submit them to the Central government.” The Central government, headed by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, has responded affirmatively and provided valuable assistance and advice.
However, it’s crucial to note that this tunnel roads project isn’t a new proposal. It was initially proposed by K J George during his tenure as Bengaluru development minister under the previous Congress regime.
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