BDA floats tenders for Hebbal-Mehkri tunnel-flyover, cost cut by ₹560 crore

After Cabinet approval, the BDA has invited tenders for the Hebbal–Mehkri Circle tunnel and rotary flyover project, revising the alignment and reducing the total project cost to ₹1,655 crore.

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has officially invited tenders for the much-anticipated short tunnel and rotary flyover project connecting Hebbal junction and Mehkri Circle. The project, which recently received approval from the Karnataka Cabinet, was initially estimated to cost ₹2,215 crore. However, changes made to the project alignment have brought down the revised cost to ₹1,655 crore, according to tender documents.

BDA will fully fund the project from its own financial resources, without any external borrowing or government assistance.

A major component of the project is a 2.25-kilometre-long short tunnel that will begin below the existing Hebbal flyover and railway line and extend up to the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU). The tunnel alone is estimated to cost ₹1,250 crore. Unlike metro rail tunnels, this tunnel will not use tunnel boring machines. Instead, it will be constructed using the cut-and-cover method, similar to the technique used for underpasses.

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Vehicles exiting the tunnel will seamlessly merge onto a 1.7-kilometre-long flyover leading to Mehkri Circle. This elevated corridor is expected to cost ₹405 crore. At Mehkri Circle, the design includes a rotary flyover with separate up and down ramps, allowing smoother traffic movement towards Yeshwantpur and Jayamahal roads.

The project is part of BDA’s efforts to manage traffic congestion around Hebbal, one of Bengaluru’s busiest junctions. While the addition of two loops at the Hebbal flyover earlier helped ease congestion at that point, traffic bottlenecks shifted towards Mehkri Circle. Initially, a tunnel alone was proposed, but officials felt it would merely push congestion further ahead. This led to the decision to integrate a flyover along with the tunnel.

BDA has set a strict deadline of two years for completion once construction begins. To speed up execution, separate tenders have been floated for the tunnel and the flyover, and both works will be taken up simultaneously. However, details regarding traffic diversion plans and alternative routes for airport-bound commuters during construction are yet to be announced.

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