The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday approved the construction of two ambitious tunnel corridors in Bengaluru, marking a significant step toward addressing the city’s growing traffic woes. The projects will be executed under the Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model, which will allow toll collection to recover investments over a 30-year concession period.
The proposed corridors will run from Esteem Mall near Hebbal to HSR Layout/Silk Board and from KR Puram to Mysuru Road. The project will be taken up through a global tendering process, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H. K. Patil announced after the Cabinet meeting.
“The government considered various funding and execution models including the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Ultimately, the BOOT model was chosen to attract global bidders and reduce the burden on public finances,” Patil said.
Rs 17,780 Crore Investment and Toll-Based Revenue Model
The high-cost Hebbal–Silk Board tunnel corridor alone is expected to cost approximately ₹17,780 crore. The tender process for this project is expected to be initiated within 7 to 10 days.
As per the Detailed Project Report (DPR), a toll of ₹330 has been proposed for the 16.6 km Hebbal–Silk Board stretch, starting from the base year FY 2030–31. The toll structure is based on a 5% annual escalation in the Wholesale Price Index, capped at 40%. The current toll rates mentioned are only applicable to cars, with details for other vehicle types yet to be finalized.
Estimated Toll Rates for Key Routes
The DPR lists estimated tolls for various key routes:
- ₹320 for Hebbal to Sarjapur/HSR Layout (16.3 km)
- ₹250 for Hebbal to Hosur Main Road (12.79 km)
- ₹180 for Hebbal to Seshadri Road (9.05 km)
- ₹320 from KR Puram to Silk Board Junction (Outer Ring Road)
- ₹245 from Mekhri Circle to Silk Board Junction (12.54 km)
- ₹195 from Race Course to Silk Board Junction (9.8 km)
- ₹255 from Jayanagar to Hebbal (13 km)
- ₹245 from Jayanagar to KR Puram via ORR (12.36 km)
- ₹130 from C V Raman Road to Hebbal (6.6 km)
With Bengaluru’s traffic challenges mounting, these tunnel projects are expected to offer an underground alternative that promises to reduce congestion and improve commute times. However, the toll-based model may raise concerns among daily commuters regarding affordability and access.
