Bengaluru tunnel road gets big boost: Engineers call it the only ‘long-term fix’

Engineers recommend tunnel roads for Bengaluru's traffic crisis, citing the need for multi-layered mobility systems.

Bengaluru’s most debated tunnel road project received a major push on Tuesday after the Institution of Engineers (India) offered what it called “unequivocal support,” describing the plan as the city’s most practical long-term solution to its traffic crisis.

The endorsement came after a technical panel of senior engineers met on November 11 to examine the government’s proposal. (REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE)

The endorsement came after a technical panel of senior engineers met on November 11 to examine the government’s proposal.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who shared the endorsement on X, said the expert backing reflects a broader consensus that the city “deserves faster, cleaner and safer mobility.”

In a detailed assessment submitted to the state government, the engineers said Bengaluru’s current traffic load, 1.45 crore registered vehicles and an additional 60 lakh floating vehicles, has far exceeded the capacity of existing roads.

With over 3,500 new vehicles added daily, the institution said the city now requires “multi-layered mobility systems,” and argued that tunnel roads fit that requirement better than any other option.

The panel estimated that connecting six major highways through a high-speed underground corridor could divert up to 25 lakh vehicles away from surface roads. This, they said, would dramatically reduce congestion, cut pollution, lower fuel consumption, and improve travel times across the city. They also cited an example: a direct tunnel route from Nelamangala to Hosur, which currently takes nearly two hours, could be completed in nine minutes, with tolls set at aroundRs 20 per km.

Engineers also highlighted cost comparisons with major tunnels built across India, estimating Bengaluru’s tunnel network at around ₹446 crore per kilometre. Because the project is proposed under private partnership, they said the financial burden on the government would be minimal.

The Institution stressed that tunnel construction using shield-based tunnel boring machines would not require land acquisition or disturb public spaces, and that no environmental clearance is needed under current EIA norms—except for cases involving tree removal.

The report concluded that Bengaluru, now ranked among the world’s most congested cities, urgently needs a solution capable of moving vehicles underground to free up surface roads. According to the engineers, only two options fit that scale: multi-layered flyovers or tunnel roads. “The decision to proceed with tunnels is technically correct,” the assessment said, recommending the government to move ahead without delay.