Two of Bengaluru's 11 new flyovers to be tolled

Bengaluru: Two of the 11 elevated corridor projects recently approved by the state government for Bengaluru will be tolled, with official documents showing that these two stretches, the longest among the lot, are proposed under Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). Once completed, they will become the city’s first major intra-city flyovers — spanning a combined 46.5 km and estimated to cost Rs 7,577 crore — to operate on a user-fee basis.

The documents classify the two projects under Category-C, to be taken up with 40% Viability Gap Funding (VGF). Under this framework, a private concessionaire finances part of the project, builds and maintains it, while the government will provide Rs 2,796 crore. 

The government has adopted a similar approach to fund the ambitious tunnel road project.

The first of the two corridors is a 28-km elevated road from Yeshwanthpura to Old Madras Road (Tin Factory Junction) via IISc, Mekhri Circle, Jayamahal, St John’s Church Road and Ulsoor Lake. Designed as a six-lane carriageway, the project is estimated at Rs 4,621.45 crore, including the cost of land acquisition and contingencies.

The second is an 18.5-km elevated corridor from Marenahalli Main Road (Ragigudda Junction) to Kanakapura Main Road (Thalaghattapura Junction) via the BWSSB Pipeline Road corridor. This stretch is estimated to cost ₹2,956.32 crore.

Together, the two projects account for more than half of the total outlay of Rs 13,262 crore for the new 11 elevated corridors. 

Land acquisition is a major component of all these 11 projects, which will require around Rs 1,289 crore if land losers don’t opt for transferable development rights (TDR) scheme. 

While the government has approved the projects in principle, details such as concession tenure, toll structure, bidding timelines and construction schedule are yet to be announced.

Apart from the two long elevated corridors, the other nine flyover projects cover a combined 29.1 km at an estimated cost of Rs 4,755 crore. 

They include five shorter corridors under 5 km and four medium stretches between 5 km and 10 km, connecting places such as Minerva Circle to Hudson Circle, Sirsi Circle to Nayandahalli, Old Madras Road towards Electronic City, Sholay Circle to St John’s Hospital Road, etc. 

The state government is expected to fund these projects through budgetary support over the next three years. 

Former councillor of the BJP Padmanabh Reddy said the grant released by the government for 2026-27 has been distributed across municipal corporations with little funding for new projects. "Many of these grand ideas may not see light of the day owing to shortage of money," he said, adding that Bengaluru did have a toll system for all vehicles entering the city until the 1970’s. "Bringing back a similar move may receive backlash from the public." 

Satya Arikutharam, an independent mobility expert, felt the government is pursuing "ill-advised and unscientific car-centric infrastructure projects" that will do more harm for the city. "The DPRs for these projects have neither been published nor consulted with the public. Besides the purported basis for these projects is the heavily plagiarised BBMP Feasibility Study published in December 2024," he said, adding the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) has not vetted these proposals, and all these projects require prior approval under Section 19 of the BMLTA Act.

"It is troubling to note that due processes are wantonly ignored. The government must establish BMLTA and all these projects must undergo Section-19 scrutiny," he said.