The story so far
Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar has proposed building of tunnel roads with the aim to fix Bengaluru’s notorious traffic problem. The Minister recently held a meeting with a private company which displayed a plan through power point presentation. The plan is to convert the earlier-proposed elevated corridor network (which had run into controversy) into tunnel network. A team led by Mr. Shivakumar will be studying tunnel roads of Singapore, besides conducting feasible study.
Where are the tunnel roads planned?
The tunnel roads are planned on North-South Corridor (Mekhri Circle to Central Silk Board), East-West Corridor -1 (K R Puram to Goraguntepalya), East-West Corridor - 2 (Varthur Road to Jnanabharati), Conneting Corridor - 1 (Connecting East West Corridor-2 at St John’s Hospital Junction to Agara on Outer Ring Road), Connecting Corridor-2 (Connecting East West Corridor-1 at Ulsoor to East-West Corridor-2 at D’Souza Circle) and Connecting Corridor-3 (Connecting East West Corridor-1 at Wheeler’s Road Junction to Kalyan Nagar at Outer Ring Road). The total length of this network will be 92.195 km. Instead of an elevated corridor proposed back in 2017, it appears like the minister is planning to replace the same with tunnels.
The proposed plan, while enjoying the backing industrialists, has been opposed by experts and activists vociferously. Will this project help Bengaluru rid itself of its infamous traffic woes is a question on everyone’s mind. The buzz around proposed tunnel roads, backed by a section of Bengaluru-based industrialists and entrepreneurs, does sound fancy. But the promise of fixing notorious traffic snarls may fall flat, further choking already congested city roads, those opposed to the proposal say.
The failure of several flyovers and underpasses built in the City, which has over one crore vehicular population, holds a mirror to poor road infrastructure planning. Activists have pointed out that, for instance, the Hebbal flyover on the northern part ended up adding more traffic not just on the structure but also at entry and exit points. The flyover is also the root cause for snarls in multiple places on the airport road. In areas where flyovers have come up, traffic congestion is pushed a little further creating new choke points. And tunnel roads will be no different to this, say those opposed to it.
What it will cost and is it really a solution?
Tunnel roads will cost about ₹453 crore per kilometer. While the cost is exorbitant, questions are being raised on whether it will only increase traffic at inlets and outlets of these roads, creating more bottlenecks, rather than solving the issue. The only solution to decongest Bengaluru is switching to public transport and increasing the urban rail network. Tunnel or otherwise, no road infrastructure can end traffic woes, many traffic and road infrastructure experts have always argued.
For instance, a flyover on the double road chokes residency road making commuters spend 15 minutes on the stretch during the peak hours. The vehicle movement is swift only on the flyover but traffic problems near the entry and exit have only increased.
What are the concerns over tunnel road project?
Professor, M. N. Srihari, a traffic expert, said the tunnel road will just reduce traffic from point A to point B where the structure has come up. The huge traffic will pile up on both ends rendering the concept useless ultimately. He pointed out that the metro rail network and suburban rail project that cost less than the proposed plan is the only solution for the traffic.
Srihari further explained that the project has safety concerns. As tunnel roads are closed, in the event of accidents, it would become hard to carry the injured to the hospital in time. The accidents will again generate massive traffic. If any accident occurs inside the tunnel the vehicular pile-up will only further exacerbate. “In whatever way we look, this idea is bad and will not solve the problem,” he said.
There is yet another kind of safety concern, say activists. Bengaluru’s earthquake seismic activity classification has been on the increase, and therefore, it might not be a wise idea to shake the foundations of Bengaluru, said Sandeep Anirudhan, Convener, Citizens’ Agenda for Bengaluru.
How does tunnel road sound as investment choice?
More importantly, an investment choice, tunnel road is a really unviable, many argue. A road will have a capacity to carry about 1500 people per hour. Whereas a metro will generate a capacity of 60,000 people per hour, and suburban rail about 90,000 people per hour. Even a low-cost BRTS system introduced on existing arterial surface roads can enhance capacity to 45,000 per hour. Therefore, at an estimated ₹453 crores per kilometre, the tunnel road is not a wise choice, argued Mr. Anirudhan. Metro construction will cost about the same, the BRTS system will cost only about one-tenth that cost and the suburban rail can be implemented at a fraction of the cost. All these will cost anywhere between ₹ 10 crore to ₹100 crore per kilometre, Mr. Anirudhan pointed.
In this age, when Singapore has completely abandoned their underground roads project, because it found it more prudent to shift to a Mass Rapid Transit strategy, and a zero car policy, a project of this kind makes little sence, he argues.
Can tunnel roads work in any part of city?
Professor Chandra Kishan of Indian Institute of Science said if the tunnel roads are planned in such a way that it would enable commuters move from one point to another without entering into core areas of the city, this may be of help. Otherwise, the traffic congestion will shift from one place to another. “On the outskirts it is good. It should be planned in such a way,” he said.
