DULT flags risks in Bengaluru Tunnel Road: Metro safety and traffic concerns

The 16-km Hebbal-Silk Board tunnel, once touted as a congestion-buster, is now under fire as DULT warns of threats to Metro tunnels and worsening surface traffic.

Bengaluru’s dream of easing traffic with a 16-km underground tunnel road between Hebbal and Silk Board junction has run into a reality check. The Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), which recently reviewed the BBMP’s feasibility report, has raised strong concerns that the project could endanger Namma Metro tunnels and compound congestion on surface roads.

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Metro at Risk

DULT’s technical review highlights that the tunnel’s alignment overlaps or runs dangerously close to several Metro corridors under Phase 2 and Phase 3A. Stress interference, underground pressure and stability shifts caused when new tunnels are carved near existing ones, could weaken structural integrity, the review warns.

The critical conflict points include Marigowda Road (where the tunnel cuts across the Hebbal-Sarjapur line of Phase 3A), Dairy Circle (clashing with the Gottigere-Nagawara line of Phase 2), and several sensitive locations such as NIMHANS, Wilson Garden, Guttahalli Main Road, 8th Main Road in Sadashivanagar, Corporation Circle, KR Circle, and Palace Road.

At each of these points, DULT cautions that Metro tunnels could face stress interference, lateral displacement, or long-term damage.

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Road Chaos Ahead?

Far from decongesting traffic, the review says the tunnel could unleash fresh bottlenecks if ramps are poorly executed. On Jayamahal Main Road, DULT notes that ramps without adequate weaving space would choke the corridor. In Sadashivanagar, accommodating an exit ramp on 8th Main Road is deemed unfeasible, with risks of severe congestion.

At Palace Road and Basaveshwara Circle, additional traffic inflow from the tunnel could overwhelm the already burdened junctions. Similarly, an exit ramp at KR Circle threatens to worsen an area notorious for gridlock. The same fears apply to Corporation Circle, where tunnel traffic would spill into nearby junctions like Coffee Day Junction and Queens Junction.

Other red flags include Siddapura Road near Ashoka Pillar, where ramp width and weaving space are inadequate, and Marigowda Road, where a ramp could disrupt both traffic and adjacent junctions like 13th Cross Road. DULT has emphasised that ramp sizing must be based on scientific demand studies, otherwise, the tunnel will generate more chaos than relief.

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Policy Mismatch

Beyond engineering issues, the review slams the project for not aligning with Bengaluru’s Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP), BBMP’s Climate Action Plan, or even the National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP). Experts argue that investing in road-based car infrastructure directly contradicts the city’s stated mobility and sustainability goals.

Yet, despite these serious warnings, Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited has already floated global tenders for the project, raising concerns about whether safety and planning are being sacrificed for speed.

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