DULT flags major concerns over Bengaluru North-South Tunnel Road proposal; Recommends fresh study

DULT calls for fresh feasibility study, citing misalignment with city mobility and climate plans, potential congestion, and infrastructure conflicts.

The proposed 15-km north–south tunnel corridor in Bengaluru faces fresh scrutiny as the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) highlighted major gaps in the existing feasibility study and recommended a comprehensive reassessment.

The review points out that the project, in its current form, does not align with the city’s Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP 2020), the BBMP Climate Action Plan, or the National Urban Transport Policy, all of which prioritize public transport and sustainable mobility over private vehicle infrastructure.

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Key concerns include the lack of origin-destination surveys and turning movement counts, making demand estimation and surface-level junction impact assessment impossible. Potential congestion is expected at Jayamahal Road, 8th Main Road (Sadashivanagar), Basaveshwara Circle, KR Circle, and Corporation Circle.

The tunnel also overlaps with ongoing and planned projects like Metro phases 2, 3, 3A, and the suburban rail, while studies on seismic vulnerabilities, groundwater impact, and ecological risks are missing. The report recommends exploring shorter, strategic tunnel alignments at critical choke points such as Goruguntepalya, KR Puram–Benniganahalli, and Central Silk Board–JD Mara junctions.

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Additionally, the feasibility report omits costs for land acquisition, intelligent traffic systems, traffic mitigation, and ecological measures, highlighting the need for a comprehensive cost analysis before proceeding with the multi-thousand-crore project.