Land acquisition underway for 2-km tunnel to bypass Hebbal flyover

Bengaluru: Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Ltd (B-SMILE) has begun acquiring land for a six-lane underground road designed to help motorists bypass the choked Hebbal flyover.

The two-km stretch, different from the proposed 16-km tunnel between north and south Bengaluru, will not be tolled, officials confirmed.

A notification stated that eight properties, spread across 7,241 sqm, will be acquired to build the road from Hebbal flyover to Hebbal Veterinary College on Ballari Road. B-SMILE will also temporarily take over land belonging to the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) and the Veterinary College.

Planned as a bidirectional bypass, the road will link Mehkri Circle and the airport. It will have an exit point next to Hebbal Lake on Ballari Road and an entry point near Esteem Mall for vehicles heading towards the city. Similarly, an entry and exit point have been proposed near the petrol bunk after Baptist Hospital.

The design is reportedly prepared by Rodic Consultants, the agency that had also done the 16-km tunnel road between Hebbal and Central Silk Board.

Officials said the underground road will be built using the cut-and-cover method without deploying a tunnel boring machine.

"The northern part of the city has seen new commercial and residential layouts, including the Shivaram Karanth Layout, and residents requested a short bypass at the junction,” said BS Prahallad, Technical Director, B-SMILE.

The project was reviewed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar during the recent inauguration of a 750-metre elevated loop at Hebbal Junction.

However, experts said the tunnel may not significantly ease congestion since much traffic snarls are seen below the flyover, particularly vehicles crossing the Outer Ring Road towards Tumakuru and KR Puram. The entry point of the under-bridge at Mehkri Circle is also congested, and concerns remain that the project could delay the Sarjapura–Hebbal Metro line, which will run underground.

B-SMILE gets five engineers

The government has deputed five Assistant Executive Engineers to B-SMILE as it prepares to handle major infrastructure projects.

BS Prahallad has also been appointed Engineer-in-Chief of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), while continuing as Technical Director of B-SMILE in an ex-officio role.