Bengaluru: Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has floated tenders to appoint a consultant to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for a proposed 4.5km tunnel road connecting the Kanteerava Studio underpass to BEL Circle via Goraguntepalya Junction, one of the busiest traffic bottlenecks in west Bengaluru.The proposed six-lane tunnel, estimated to cost around Rs 3,000 crore, aims to ease chronic congestion at Goraguntepalya, where the Outer Ring Road (ORR) intersects Tumakuru Road (NH-48). The consultant will carry out traffic studies, geological investigations, utility mapping, and environmental assessments before finalising the alignment and project details.The project is the third tunnel road proposed by the Congress govt since assuming office. Earlier, the state had announced a 17km tunnel road between Hebbal and Silk Board and a 2.2km tunnel linking Hebbal to Veterinary College, which will connect with a proposed elevated corridor up to Mehkri Circle.It will also be the second tunnel project to be taken up by BDA. The contract for the Hebbal-Veterinary College tunnel has already been awarded and the foundation stone for the project laid.BDA officials said repeated road-widening measures have failed to resolve congestion at Goraguntepalya because of space constraints and rising traffic volumes. “Goraguntepalya Circle, where ORR meets the national highway, continues to remain one of the city’s biggest traffic choke points. There is little scope for further road expansion. The proposed tunnel is intended to provide a long-term solution. The consultant will study traffic movement, geographical conditions, and other technical parameters before preparing the DPR,” a senior BDA official said.The proposal assumes significance as the same corridor has also been identified by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) for a proposed double-decker flyover as part of the Kempapura-JP Nagar Metro corridor. BDA said the consultant will examine the Metro project’s DPR to ensure the two proposals are compatible and do not conflict with each other.The Metro project along ORR has already witnessed delays, and officials acknowledge that coordination between the two agencies will be crucial if both projects are to be executed simultaneously. According to the tender document, the consultant will determine the final alignment, number of lanes, project cost, and construction methodology after completing topographical surveys, geotechnical and geological investigations, traffic analysis, and environmental studies.The consultant has been given 60 days to submit the DPR. However, BDA has retained the option to drop the proposal if the study finds the project to be technically, financially or environmentally unviable.The DPR will also recommend the most suitable construction technique, evaluating options such as tunnel boring machines (TBMs), the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), and the cut-and-cover method based on ground conditions and engineering feasibility.The choke pointDespite several infrastructure projects being announced over the years to decongest Goraguntepalya, traffic congestion continues to plague the stretch. Commuters travelling between Hebbal and Goraguntepalya regularly encounter long delays, particularly near BEL Circle, Muthyalanagar railway overbridge and Pipeline Road-Goraguntepalya stretch.
