Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar meets Rajnath Singh, seeks defence land for Bengaluru civic works

Karnataka's Deputy CM DK Shivakumar met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to advance Bengaluru's tunnel road project, aiming to alleviate traffic congestion.

Published on: May 10, 2025, 14:51:25 IST

By HT News Desk

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Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar met Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi earlier this week to push forward one of Bengaluru’s most ambitious infrastructure proposals — the tunnel road project. The state is eyeing a part of land under the control of the Defence Ministry to facilitate the project and other ongoing road widening efforts in the city.

Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

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Taking to social media platform X after the meeting, Shivakumar shared, “Had a cordial meeting with Shri @rajnathsingh avaru during my Delhi visit. Discussed on widening of roads using defence lands and Bengaluru tunnel project.” The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has also reportedly approached the Defence Ministry, requesting the transfer of certain land parcels currently under its jurisdiction.

Bengaluru tunnel road

The proposed underground corridor, popularly known as Bengaluru tunnel road is intended to ease the city’s chronic traffic congestion by offering a high-speed alternative route.

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The tunnel project is expected to feature two major corridors. The first is a North-South link running from Esteem Mall in Hebbal to Central Silk Board, and the second is an East-West corridor stretching from KR Puram to Mysuru Road. The first phase — an 18-kilometre stretch between Hebbal and Central Silk Board — will cost an estimated ₹17,000 crore and is planned to include three entry and three exit ramps.

The entire project is projected to cost around ₹42,000 crore. To support the massive investment, the state has proposed taking a loan of ₹19,000 crore, with a full guarantee from the Karnataka government. Authorities are also looking to collaborate with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to connect the tunnel with major highways such as NH-7 and NH-14.

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