Bengaluru’s BBMP hopes to complete 18-km tunnel road in Bengaluru in 3 years, experts question its feasibility

BBMP officials pointed retired that, arsenic per the DPR, six passageway boring machines (TBM) had been recommended to beryllium deployed for the tunnelling works.

Speaking to The Indian Express, BBMP Chief Engineer BS Prahalad said: “The consultancy steadfast has completed the DPR and insignificant changes are being made to it, earlier it is finalised. Meanwhile, Altinok consultancy steadfast has conscionable prepared the postulation absorption program arsenic portion of the pre-feasibility report. The deadline for the mega passageway roadworthy task chiefly depends connected the fig of TBMs that volition beryllium deployed and the locations astatine which they volition beryllium deployed.”

He added: “As per the DPR, six TBMs person been recommended to beryllium deployed for the tunnelling works. If we spell by the complaint of tunnelling 33 metres (over 100 feet) underground and each TBM cutting 1.2 km, we would beryllium completing tunnelling enactment of 7.2 km a year. By this rate, we expect to implicit the tunnelling enactment of the full 18 km agelong successful 36 months. However, we request a grace play of 12 much months to implicit the roadworthy works and different works required to operationalise the passageway road. However, procuring the TBMs and past deploying them for tunnelling is simply a tedious and time-consuming job.”

Prahalad besides stated that the tender for civic works volition beryllium called successful January 2025.

S R Umashankar, head of BBMP and further main caput of the Urban Development Department, expressed optimism astir completing the tunneling enactment successful 3 years, citing the advancement made nether Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) projects.

“Given however tunnelling works person progressed nether BMRCL with technological advancements, we are hopeful of finishing the tunnelling enactment for the roadworthy task successful 3 years. Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) volition reappraisal the DPR and due suggestions volition beryllium taken into information earlier finalisation,” said Umashankar.

He added: “We are trying our champion to undertake the task connected authorities onshore and beryllium little connected backstage land. Since astir of the projects are underground, determination is nary request for private-land acquisition. Even astatine the introduction and exit points of the project, we are trying our champion to enactment connected authorities lands. However, successful lawsuit of immoderate request of backstage land, the acquisition process volition hap arsenic per the rules.”

Underground roadworthy portion of Brand Bengaluru initiative

In August this year, the Karnataka Cabinet gave the greenish awesome for the 18-km twin-tube passageway roadworthy betwixt Hebbal and Silk Board.

The Cabinet approved the twin-tube passageway arsenic it has been done successful Mumbai and according to Indian Road Congress norms.

The task volition beryllium implemented utilizing the Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) method.

During the Cabinet meeting, it was suggested that the passageway beryllium constructed arsenic a toll roadworthy done a public-private concern (PPP) model, supported by 40 per cent viability spread backing (VGF) from the authorities government.

If nary institution submits a bid for operation nether the BOT method aft 2 tender attempts, the task tin beryllium carried retired connected an engineering procurement declaration (EPC) basis.

In this case, the authorities would cod toll gross based connected a hybrid annuity exemplary (HAM), arsenic stated successful the Cabinet’s decision.

The underground vehicular passageway task is portion of the Brand Bengaluru inaugural and connects the north-south corridor from Hebbal Esteem Mall Junction to Silk Board Junction.

Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar spearheads this ambitious project.

Despite immoderate opposing views, Shivakumar asserts that this large task is 1 of respective roadworthy infrastructure efforts being implemented to alleviate postulation congestion successful Bengaluru.

Experts accidental three-year deadline unrealistic

Satya Arikutharam, an municipality mobility expert, said: “The three-year deadline for tunneling works is simply a joke. It is not wide whether the DPR, which was rushed to completion successful conscionable 3 months, was reviewed by the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA). Additionally, it is intolerable to implicit the DPR and acceptable the task rolling successful specified a abbreviated time, without conducting a thorough situation interaction assessment, caller geotechnical and geophysical investigations.

“The DPR for immoderate passageway projects indispensable beryllium thoroughly reviewed and scrutinised by competent authorities, arsenic per the caller Centre directives. How galore alignment options were generated and whether the last alignment was consulted with the impacted parties is unclear. All these processes would instrumentality clip to complete, but the BBMP is rushing the project, which successful the archetypal spot is not adjacent required,” helium added.

Prof Ashish Verma from the Department of Civil Engineering astatine Indian Institute of Science (IISc) successful Bengaluru, said: “It is not lone unrealistic to expect that tunneling tin beryllium completed wrong 3 years, but the entire task itself is besides unworthy of consideration. It is absurd to suggest gathering a passageway roadworthy for vehicles successful a corridor wherever determination is an upcoming Metro project. There is simply nary justification for this decision.”

“The cardinal premise of the task is flawed successful respective ways. Ideally, we should scope the DPR signifier lone aft exploring alternate solutions oregon analyses to code the postulation problem. However, successful this instance, the DPR was hastily completed without due evaluations. Additionally, during dense rainfall, tin we beryllium assured that the BBMP engineers volition guarantee the passageway remains escaped of flooding? That would apt pb to disaster,” helium added.