The government of Karnataka has announced a big plan to build an underground road tunnel in Bengaluru city. This tunnel will start from Hebbal area and will go all the way to Silk Board Junction. The tunnel will be around 16.7 kilometers long on each side, so both directions will have their own tunnel. The total length of tunnels together will be around 33.5 kilometers. This project is expected to cost nearly ₹19,000 crore. The government says this tunnel will help reduce traffic jams and save time for people traveling between Hebbal and Silk Board Junction every day.
The plan is to allow only cars inside the tunnel. Two-wheelers like bikes and scooters will not be allowed. Auto-rickshaws will also not be allowed. This decision has made many people unhappy. Bengaluru is known for having a lot of bikes, scooters, and autos. Many people depend on these for daily travel. By allowing only cars, the project is seen as helping rich people who own cars while leaving out people who use more affordable vehicles. Many people have called this project unfair and said that it will not help the majority of road users in the city.
The tunnel will also be a toll road, meaning people who use the tunnel will have to pay money. The toll fee is expected to be around ₹19 per kilometer. That means a person traveling from Hebbal to Silk Board Junction through the tunnel will have to pay around ₹330 for one trip. This cost may go up in the future. Some people say this toll is too high for regular use. Many workers, students, and middle-class people will not be able to afford to use this tunnel every day for traveling to work or school.
The government says the tunnel will be built using a BOT or BOOT model. That means private companies will build the tunnel, operate it for some years, and then hand it back to the government. To attract private companies, the government will provide something called Viability Gap Funding (VGF). This is money given by the government to make the project more profitable for private builders. In this case, the government is ready to give nearly ₹7,100 crore as VGF. Critics say this is a lot of public money being spent on a project that benefits only car owners.
Many experts and city leaders are not happy with this tunnel plan. They say Bengaluru needs better public transport, not expensive tunnels for cars. They suggest the government should spend this money on expanding the metro network, improving buses, building suburban trains, and making roads safer for everyone. MP Tejasvi Surya and other leaders have said the tunnel project is unfair. They believe money should be used to help people who depend on public transport, two-wheelers, and autos. They say a city should not only be designed for people who can afford cars.
The project report prepared for this tunnel has also been criticized. Experts have found many mistakes and incorrect information in the Detailed Project Report (DPR). For example, in some places, the traffic count numbers for both directions of the road are shown as exactly the same, which is very unlikely in reality. People are asking how a project worth ₹19,000 crore can be planned with such poor data. Some also say the tunnel route is not even the most congested part of the city. Other areas have worse traffic, but they are being ignored.
There are also worries about safety in the tunnel. Bengaluru often gets heavy rain and waterlogging on roads. Experts say the tunnel could flood during such times, putting people’s lives in danger. If water leaks inside the tunnel or drainage is not planned properly, it can cause accidents. There are also fears of tunnel collapse or accidents due to poor soil conditions or bad construction. Critics say more studies should be done to understand the risks before spending such a huge amount of money on this project. People’s safety should be the first priority.
Building the tunnel is expected to take at least three years. Eight Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) will be used to dig the tunnels. But many people believe it will take much longer in reality. Bengaluru is already struggling with ongoing metro construction, road repairs, and flyover works. If such a huge tunnel project starts, the city might face even worse traffic jams for many years. Experts warn that construction activities will block roads, increase noise and dust pollution, and make life difficult for residents. They say people should be ready for disruptions for five to ten years.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and other government officials defend the tunnel project. They say Bengaluru has land shortages, and underground roads are the only solution. They believe the tunnel will bypass twenty-five major traffic bottlenecks between Hebbal and Silk Board Junction. This, they say, will reduce travel time by at least forty-five minutes. They also claim the tunnel will cut air pollution, save fuel, and reduce noise on surface roads. They believe private companies will complete the project faster, and the toll system will help recover some costs without burdening the government completely.
However, many citizens are still not convinced. They feel public transport systems like metro trains, suburban rail, and buses should be improved first. Bengaluru’s metro network is still expanding, and many areas do not have proper metro access. Traffic on surface roads remains chaotic because of the large number of private vehicles. Citizen groups believe that if public transport is made better, more people will leave their cars at home. This will reduce traffic naturally without the need for expensive tunnels. They say focusing only on cars will not solve the city’s real transport problems.
Some groups have pointed out that Bengaluru already spends a lot on road projects, but traffic keeps getting worse. Flyovers, underpasses, and signal-free corridors have been built, but the city still faces daily traffic jams. They argue that building a tunnel for cars will only invite more cars on the road. Experts call this induced demand, meaning when better roads are made, more people start driving, and soon the new roads also get filled with traffic. They say the same thing will happen with the tunnel. After some years, traffic will return, and the problem will remain.
Many environmental activists are also worried. Bengaluru has faced issues with shrinking lakes, vanishing greenery, and poor drainage. Large construction projects often damage the environment further. Digging tunnels can affect underground water sources, natural soil structures, and even nearby buildings. During construction, trees may be cut, dust pollution will increase, and water systems could be disturbed. Activists want the government to conduct proper environmental impact studies. They say the city cannot afford more ecological damage, especially when it is already struggling with poor air quality, disappearing lakes, and worsening floods during the monsoon season.
There are also questions about the huge project cost. Spending ₹19,000 crore on a single project is a big decision. Critics say this money can be used in better ways. For example, it can be used to buy more metro trains, build new metro lines, improve suburban rail services, make safer footpaths, or introduce more buses. They believe public transport helps more people than private car-only projects. They also say the high toll rates will make the tunnel useless for many ordinary people. Only wealthy car owners will use the tunnel regularly, making it an elite project.
Many people feel excluded from the planning process. Citizen groups say the government should have conducted proper consultations with experts, transport planners, and the public before finalizing such a costly project. They say a project of this size and impact cannot be rushed without public discussion. Bengaluru’s traffic problem affects everyone, not just car owners. But the current tunnel plan appears to favor one section of society while ignoring the needs of common people. This has led to protests, online campaigns, and demands for more transparent decision-making by the government.
The debate over the tunnel project has become a hot topic in Bengaluru. Some people support the project, saying traffic jams have become unbearable and any solution is welcome. They believe the tunnel will make life easier for car owners traveling between Hebbal and Silk Board. But a large section of people remain unhappy. They say the tunnel is expensive, unfair, risky, and may not even solve the traffic problem in the long term. They want the government to first focus on better, affordable, and safer public transport options for everyone in the city.
The coming months will be crucial for the future of this project. The government plans to invite global tenders soon. Private companies from India and abroad will bid to build the tunnel. But public pressure is also growing. Many citizens, experts, and political leaders are asking the government to pause the project, review the Detailed Project Report, and conduct new studies. They also want public transport investments to be increased immediately. If these demands are ignored, the protests may grow stronger, and the tunnel project could face legal, technical, and social challenges in the future.