Tunnel to Hebbal flyover taking shape

Tunnel to Hebbal flyover taking shape
This project will make it easy to reach the international airport
The Times of India


Even as the green boards around the city announce the beginning of the metro rail project, another ambitious one-of-itskind venture is quietly taking shape. Recently, a group from Shanghai was in the city to make a presentation to the Chief Minister on the making of a tunnel from Minsk Square near the cricket stadium to the Hebbal flyover. This tunnel will make the planned 'north corridor' come true, carving out an expressway through some of the city's busy localities.
"There are two options. One is two three-lane tunnels alongside each other and the other is one three-lane tunnel below another. This will facilitate uninterrupted and fast movement of traffic from the heart of the city till the Hebbal flyover, making commuting to the airport quick and easy", says M K Shankaralinge Gowda, Commissioner, Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). This ambitious project, as the Commissioner says, "will be the showpiece of the country".
The project comes with a major advantage. There is no need for any land acquisitions. "Nothing on the surface will be disturbed. The entire tunneling and work will happen underground. People above the ground will not even be aware of the work going on", he says. The fact that traffic and movement will not be disturbed will come as a major relief to Bangaloreans and the traffic police alike. This project will also mean no dust pollution and disruptions. The people working in the business establishments and living in the residences along the way will not be subjected to inconvenience.
This project will cost around Rs 800 crores and is expected to be completed in around three years from its beginning. "We will be calling for expression of interest in less than a month. After that, we will call for tenders for the works. We may even have the project completed in 30 months", says Shankaralinge Gowda.
"This project is excellent", says M A Saleem, DIG of police. "The construction work happening under the ground is good for the traffic police too. Recently, a pedestrian sub-way was built under the Sir C V Raman Road, connecting the campus of Indian Institute Science on either side of the road. No one was even aware while using the road that this work was on". On movement inside the tunnel, he says, "These tunnels will have only traffic and no pedestrians. Also, there will be no intersections and it is a one-way movement in the tunnel. This makes it unnecessary to have traffic police in them all the time".
The tunnel will have illumination, ducting and facilities to drain water seeping in. Such tunnels come with a good surface that makes it easy to drive through. Connecting to the flyover will take the commuters to the six-lane road from there onwards, making it a smooth and fast drive to the international airport.
Apart from connecting to the airport, this tunnel also makes the northern parts of the city much easier to access. With the planned Peripheral Ring Road and existing Outer Ring Road, this project opens up the north to further development thanks to the efficient road connectivity. The project will create opportunities for all sectors to look at commercial and residential development in that part of the city.