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After the Hebbal tunnel project, the BDA has proposed a 4.5-km underground road beneath Goraguntepalya. The tunnel aims to decongest one of Bengaluru’s busiest junctions
Bengaluru Traffic News: Officials said the tunnel will feature an underground loop, allowing motorists travelling from Tumakuru Road to seamlessly access BEL Circle and Dr Rajkumar Memorial without navigating the congested Goraguntepalya junction. (AI Generated)
Bengaluru News: The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has proposed a new 4.5-km underground tunnel road beneath the busy Goraguntepalya junction in a bid to ease traffic congestion along the Outer Ring Road (ORR). The move comes soon after the agency began work on the 2.2-km Hebbal tunnel road.
The proposed six-lane tunnel will connect Dr Rajkumar Memorial with BEL Circle, passing beneath the heavily congested Tumakuru Road intersection, one of Bengaluru’s busiest traffic junctions.
DPR To Assess Feasibility
BDA Commissioner Major P Manivannan said the authority will now prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the proposed tunnel. “Once the DPR is ready, we will seek the state government’s approval,” he said.
According to BDA officials, the DPR will examine the project’s technical feasibility, expected reduction in travel time, construction methodology and integration with other ongoing infrastructure projects along the corridor, as reported by Deccan Herald.
Underground Loop Planned For Smoother Traffic
Officials said the tunnel will feature an underground loop, allowing motorists travelling from Tumakuru Road to seamlessly access BEL Circle and Dr Rajkumar Memorial without navigating the congested Goraguntepalya junction.
The authority is yet to decide the construction method and is evaluating options including the cut-and-cover, box-push, and tunnel boring machine (TBM) techniques. Officials added that vacant land parcels along parts of the alignment could help speed up construction.
Project To Be Integrated With Metro Expansion
The proposed tunnel will run along a corridor that is also set to witness major Metro expansion under Namma Metro Phase 3.
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has proposed a 37-km double-decker corridor from JP Nagar 4th Phase to Kempapura in Hebbal, featuring a metro line along with an elevated roadway.
The elevated road component alone is estimated to cost Rs 9,692.33 crore. Metro authorities are also planning a new station at Goraguntepalya, which will be connected to the existing Green Line station through a Foot Over Bridge (FOB).
BDA officials said the tunnel’s alignment will be finalised in coordination with the proposed double-decker Metro project to ensure the two projects complement each other.
Project Shifted To BDA
The tunnel road proposal was initially conceptualised by the Bengaluru West City Corporation, but the project has since been handed over to the BDA for execution.
Meanwhile, the BDA has already begun work on the 2.2-km Hebbal tunnel road, a project estimated to cost Rs 1,139.67 crore. Both the Hebbal and Goraguntepalya tunnel projects are expected to be directly monitored by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
Experts Raise Concerns
The proposal comes even as some urban mobility experts have raised concerns over the planned Namma Metro double-decker corridor, arguing that the elevated road component could undermine investments in Bengaluru’s public transport system.
With multiple mega infrastructure projects planned along the same corridor, the upcoming DPR will play a key role in determining how the tunnel road integrates with the city’s long-term transport network.
Bangalore, India, India
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