Karnataka Government to Acquire Hebbal Land for Bengaluru Tunnel Road Project, Says DK Shivakumar

To provide relief from Bengaluru’s mounting traffic jams, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday announced the state government’s plans to buy land in Hebbal for the tunnel road project. The declaration came following a meeting with Industries Minister MB Patil at Vidhana Soudha on Monday.

Shivakumar underlined that the government is going to go ahead with both the Metro extension and the tunnel road project, referring to Hebbal as an essential traffic hub. He gave details that the land pooling will comprise civilian-held and defence-held plots, employing devices such as Transferable Development Rights (TDR) and Floor Area Ratio (FAR) benefits. The government is also getting ready to float tenders for the project.

The tunnel road project will have two main corridors: a North-South connectivity from Esteem Mall in Hebbal to Central Silk Board, and an East-West link from KR Puram to Mysuru Road. The total cost of the project is estimated at ₹42,000 crore, with the first part—a stretch of 18 km from Hebbal to Central Silk Board—costing ₹17,000 crore. The first phase will include three entry and three exit points.

To ensure the project’s success, the state government has proposed collaborating with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to integrate the tunnel road with NH-7 and NH-14. The government also plans to take a ₹19,000 crore loan to fund the project, with the state providing a guarantee for the full cost.

However, the project has faced opposition. Bengaluru South MP PC Mohan criticized the land acquisition plan, arguing that the 45-acre plot in Hebbal should instead be handed over to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL). Mohan pointed out that the land is crucial for the city’s mass transit future, with three Metro lines and a suburban rail station in the pipeline for the area. He also raised concerns over delays in Metro expansion, noting that the Yellow Line is stalled due to slow train procurement and the Pink and Blue Lines are unlikely to be operational before 2026 and 2027, respectively.