Explainer: Hebbal Short Tunnel Roads

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While the controversy around the proposed tunnel road from Hebbal to Silk Board rages on, the government has proposed a smaller set of tunnel roads at Hebbal from the Veterinary College on Bellary Road till Esteem mall.

In this explainer we will look at the main features of the project as per the DPR.

What is the project?

  1. The project proposes to build short tunnels that go under the Hebbal flyover between Esteem mall and the Veterinary College entrance.
  2. There will be two parallel tunnels, each with an average length of 2.204 Km.
  3. The Detailed Project Report for this project can be found here.
Approximate alignment as per the DPR. Blue line is the North to South tunnel and red line is the parallel South to North tunnel.

Where is the project?

  1. The North-South segment is proposed to start near the Hebbal flyover between the main ramp towards Mekhri circle and the loop towards KR Puram. It will end opposite the Veterinary college close to the Indira canteen.
  2. The South-North segment will begin near the entrance to the Veterinary College, near the UAS Alumni Association building and end close to the Hebbal lake.
  3. The route isn’t a straight line but cuts into the GKVK campus and comes out closer to the ends.
  4. The road goes under the railway line near Hebbal railway station.
  5. It also cuts under the proposed Red line of the Metro. However, this section is expected to be overhead, likely to have emerged from underground well before the tunnels cross over.

How will it be constructed?

  1. Each tunnel will have 3.5 lanes for a total of 6 functioning lanes, and additional width of 0.5 lanes each for emergency and shoulder.
  2. Instead of a tunnel being bored, it will be a cut and cover construction.
  3. The surface will be dug up to a depth, pre-cast concrete box structures will be lowered and then covered up.
  4. The construction is expected to be intrusive because of this. Traffic on the Outer-ring road and Bellary road will be disrupted during the construction.
  5. As per the alignment, buffer area of Hebbal lake and green cover inside GKVK are going to be heavily affected.
  6. Rs. 75 Lakhs has been set aside for Environment Impact Assessment.

When is it expected to be done?

The project is proposed to be completed in 18 months.

Who is it for?

  1. The DPR does not mention any restrictions on vehicle types.
  2. The speed limit is mentioned as 60 kmph which suggests that all vehicles will be allowed as long as they meet the height restrictions.
  3. The design height is not mentioned in the DPR. The cross-section diagrams suggest at least 5.5m in height.
  4. There is no mention of tolls or revenue models in the DPR. The lower speed limit and short distance suggest that the road is not likely to be tolled.

How much is it expected to cost?

The total cost for the tunnel roads is estimated to be Rs. 1385.29 Cr.The construction of the tunnel alone is expected to cost Rs. 1246.20 Cr including GST.

Cost of construction with GST

Land acquisition, maintenance for 10 years, shifting of utilities, preparation of EIA are expected to cost another Rs. 139 Cr.

Cost of land acquisition, shifting of utilities etc.

Alignment maps

While no official alignment maps have been made public, we have made an interactive map based on the images in the DPR. Note that the alignment below is approximate and not official. Once the official alignment is available, we will be sharing it on our platform.

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