Karnataka Proposes Ambitious Peripheral Tunnel Road to Ease Bengaluru Traffic

In a state that has long endured battle after battle over traffic congestion, the Karnataka government has announced a development plan that would relieve traffic on the city’s thousands of crumbling streets and sod-pocked national highways by building a 188-kilometre peripheral tunnel road linking all the national highways as they enter Bengaluru.

The tunnel road is part of 12 mega infrastructure projects from the state and submitted to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in a bid to enhance road connectivity in the State. The proposal was made at a time when a ₹40,000-crore tunnel project to link the North-South and East-West corridors in Bengaluru is underway.

The new peripheral tunnel will connect Mysuru Road (NH-275) with Hosur Road (NH-48 & NH-75) through Tumakuru Road (NH-48), Ballari Road (NH-44) and Old Madras Road (Old NH-4) — forming a continuous tunnel under the city.

IMAGE: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday thanked the Centre for approving six previous infrastructure projects during a meeting with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in Delhi. In addition, he urged for the upgradation of its state highways that witness a traffic density of over 10,000 passenger car units (PCUs) and sought a sanction to the tune of ₹24,000 crore under the 2025–2026 annual highway development plan.

Apart from the Bengaluru tunnels plan, the state has sought early clearance for other big projects:

• Greenfield Expressway Between Pune and Bengaluru

• A tunnel at Shiradi Ghat (NH-75) to enhance connectivity between Mangaluru port and Bengaluru

• Ongoing work of roads already declared as national highways

• Nine-grade separation works on NH-275 along Mysuru Ring Road

• A high-level corridor in the Belagavi city on Pune-Bengaluru NH-4 to relieve the traffic.

The Karnataka government’s most recent initiative underscores its attention to long-term transport infrastructure, particularly in fast-growing urban centres like Bengaluru. If approved, the peripheral tunnel project could be a transformative development over the city’s infamous traffic woes.