DK Shivakumar: Bengaluru tunnel road project to take over four years, won’t affect Vidhana Soudha or Lalbagh

DK Shivakumar

Bengaluru’s proposed tunnel road project will take more than four years to complete, Karnataka deputy CM and Bengaluru development minister DK Shivakumar said on October 8.

Speaking at a panel discussion organised by NGO Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC) in collaboration with Mount Carmel College, Shivakumar said the state government has proposed two six-lane tunnel corridors - one along the north-south stretch (Hebbal Junction to Silk Board) and another along the east–west stretch (KR Pura to Mysuru Road).

Also, read: Bengaluru roads are better than Delhi: DK Shivakumar

"Tunnel boring machines have to be imported from China or Germany. It takes about one-and-a-half years for delivery since we have asked for a 13-metre diameter machine for a six-lane tunnel,” he said, adding that an underground tunnel is the only feasible option for the city.

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

‘Decisions will bind future governments too’

He said the project would take time to plan and execute. “These decisions take time. One or two years are not sufficient. But the planning, foundation, and groundwork will begin soon,” he said.

He said that whatever decisions are taken by the present Congress-led government will have to be followed by any future governments, including BJP, and cannot be changed.

Shivakumar said the decision followed studies of tunnel projects in other Indian cities and abroad. “I’ve visited Mumbai and other parts of the country and even seen tunnels abroad. Even in London, if you don’t use public transport, you may spend three hours in a car. In Delhi, it takes one-and-a-half hours from the airport to Parliament ,” he said.

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

‘Bengaluru not alone in facing infrastructure woes’

Defending the project amid public criticism over the city’s potholes and traffic woes, Shivakumar said Bengaluru’s infrastructure problems receive disproportionate attention.

He said Bengaluru is being singled out for criticism because our media and citizens are free to question. "Bengaluru is making more noise than other cities. Social media is speaking up, and we are not curbing it. In Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and other states, the media is not allowed to work freely."

Also, read: BlackBuck ORR exit row: DK Shivakumar says govt won’t be blackmailed

He added that infrastructure issues exist elsewhere too. “In Delhi, I counted 70 potholes within 100 metres near my house, but no one reports them. In Chennai and other cities, the media is not as free as in Karnataka. Here, people from across the country and the world come, they tweet, they make children cry (to highlight pothole issues)".

Referring to a recent controversy involving the logistics startup BlackBuck, he said, “Someone threatened to leave, but before that, he came here to earn. People come to Bengaluru to do business because it’s a hub of talent - with good weather, skilled human resources, and a vibrant culture.”

Green spaces and heritage sites won’t be affected

The deputy CM stressed that the project would not affect green spaces like Lalbagh or landmarks such as Vidhana Soudha.

“Some people are claiming that Lalbagh will be taken over for the tunnel. It’s just a small stretch near a hill rock, and the tunnel will pass underground. How can I take away Lalbagh? Similarly, there’s no plan to bring the tunnel exit near Vidhana Soudha - it will be close to Freedom Park,” he clarified.

Also, read: Karnataka to spend Rs 1 lakh crore to improve Bengaluru’s traffic, says deputy CM DK Shivakumar

The deputy CM said the growing number of vehicles and limited road space have made tunnel roads and flyover projects necessary. “Bengaluru now has 1.27 crore vehicles. Property values are high, so road widening is not an option”, he said.

Also, read: 'Brand Bengaluru' caught between DK Shivakumar’s vanity projects and city's crumbling infra

On city governance, Shivakumar said the upcoming Greater Bengaluru Authority will have 369 wards instead of the earlier proposed 368. He also reiterated that 50 percent of the seats in the next corporation council will be reserved for women.

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