Bengaluru's infra body invites global bids for Rs 17,700 crore tunnel road project

Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar has been pushing for infra projects in Bengaluru—tunnel roads, Skydeck, double-decker flyovers, elevated corridors, metro extensions to the outskirts and an amusement park near the Krishnaraja Sagar dam in Mandya

Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited (B-SMILE), a special purpose vehicle (SPV) created by the Karnataka government to manage and execute large infrastructure projects in Bengaluru, has floated a global tender for an ambitious underground twin tunnel road project.

The road, aimed at decongesting traffic on the city’s north-south corridor, will be implemented on build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) model and executed in two packages. The project is estimated to cost Rs 17,698 crore (excluding GST), with a construction timeline of 4 years and 2 months for each package.

Also, read: Bengaluru civic body under lens for alleged ‘copy-paste job’ in Rs 9.5 crore tunnel road DPR prepared by consultant

According to the tender notification, the project includes the design, construction, and maintenance of a three-lane underground twin tunnel road from Hebbal Esteem Mall Junction to Silk Board KSRP Junction, with multiple two-lane and three-lane entry and exit ramps.

Also, read: Bengaluru traffic: IISc bats for Inner Ring underground Metro over DKS’ tunnel road plan

Package 1, from Hebbal Esteem Mall Junction to Race Course Junction (Seshadri Road), spans 8.748 km and is estimated at Rs 8,770 crore. Package 2, from Race Course Junction to Silk Board (8.748 km to 16.745 km), is pegged at Rs 8,928 crore with an Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) of Rs 44.64 crore. The total concession period is 34 years, including the 50-month construction window.

The tender is expected to be opened by September. Contractors must be registered with BBMP or equivalent government agencies such as CPWD, KPWD, Railways, MES, National Highways, or other state departments to be eligible to participate.

Also, read: Skeletons tumble out of Bengaluru tunnel road project reports, BBMP left red-faced

Despite mounting criticism, the Congress-led government is pushing ahead with the project. Critics, including transport experts, have urged the state to instead focus on expanding Metro, suburban rail, and bus services to strengthen public transport.

Also, read: Bengaluru civic body to borrow Rs 19,000 crore for tunnel road project

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya slammed the proposal, calling it an "elitist and unscientific" vanity project that benefits the elite while ignoring the commuting needs of ordinary citizens. He accused the government of "irregularities" in the project’s feasibility study and Detailed Project Report (DPR), claiming that parts of the Rs 9.5 crore DPR were "copied" from a Rs 1.6 crore BMRCL report and "bizarrely" referenced Malegaon and Nashik while analysing Bengaluru’s traffic.

Also, read: Tejasvi Surya slams DK Shivakumar’s tunnel road project: 'Focus must be on moving people, not vehicles'

Surya also questioned the credibility of the consultants. He alleged that Lion Consultants, who prepared the feasibility report in joint venture with Altinok, have a group company that was debarred in Madhya Pradesh for an NHAI project. The DPR author, Rodik Consultants, was allegedly involved in a Rs 500-crore scam in Jammu & Kashmir.

Also, read: Copy-paste fiasco: Bengaluru civic body slaps Rs 5-lakh penalty on Rodic Consultants for tunnel road DPR

He further claimed the project lacks mandatory approval from the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) under Section 19 of the BMLTA Act.

Also, read: Bengaluru tunnel road project can't be executed without tolls: DK Shivakumar