City’s flight from chaos all set to go underground

City’s flight from chaos all set to go underground
By P M Raghunandan & Satish Shile, DH News Service, Bangalore:
The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), which has been entrusted with the task of executing Bangalore’s tunnel road project, has made preparations to invite a global tender to appoint the project consultant.

Barely a month after it was proposed in the State budget, Bangalore’s tunnel road project, said to be the first of its kind in the country, is all set to make headway.

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) which has been entrusted with the task of executing the project, has made preparations to invite a global tender to appoint the project consultant.

The tender will be out in a fortnight’s time, BDA Commissioner Shankaralinge Gowda told Deccan Herald.

This is not all. The BDA has also decided to extend the tunnel road, which was initially proposed between Minsk Square and BDA Circle, till Hebbal Flyover (near Outer Ring Road). And it is seriously contemplating having a two-tier road (one above another) emulating the Shanghai model.

The tunnel road will stretch up to a length of eight km and is estimated to cost Rs 800 crore. The State government has already allotted Rs 50 crore in the budget.



Shanghai interested

Mr Gowda said the BDA will act as nodal agency in executing the project. The Shanghai Urban Construction Bureau has evinced interest to take up the project and has also made a presentation on the tunnel road for BDA engineers recently.

“We are inviting consultants to take up a detailed study for the project in the next 15 days. They will study the topography of the area and work out how it should be implemented to ease traffic congestion in the City. As per the concept, the tunnel will join the six-lane highway at Hebbal Circle, which connects to the Devanahalli international airport,” he said.

The BDA also has plans to have a two-way tunnel road. “We will decide on whether to go for two separate tunnels for two roads or one big tunnel accommodating both the roads, after the consultants submit their report. Based on their report, we will float tenders to take up the work.

The total expense of the project is estimated at Rs 800 crore and is expected to be completed in three years,” Mr Gowda said.

Earlier, the concept of the project was mooted by Mr K C Reddy, adviser to the Chief Minister. He had suggested the tunnel road between BDA Circle and Mekhri Circle. According to his estimation, Rs 500 crore was necessary for the project.

However, the estimated cost increased by Rs 300 crore with the extension of the project.

Mr Reddy said, “The concept was worked out with an intention to ease traffic congestion on the way to Devanahalli International Airport. There would be no crossings in the tunnel and commuters can reach their destination at the earliest. Moreover, the government need not acquire land for the project.”