Image: Tejasvi Surya/X.
Bengaluru: Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya has urged the Bangalore Development Authority to stop the proposed two-kilometre Hebbal short tunnel, arguing that its ₹1,350-crore cost, environmental consequences and interaction with planned public transport make it an unsuitable response to congestion.
In a detailed statement shared with a video, Surya called the project “unscientific” and a waste of public money. He alleged that it would require cutting 1,128 trees, increase flooding risks around Hebbal Lake, disrupt groundwater and worsen traffic rather than provide lasting relief.
Objection to tunnel and elevated corridor
Surya argued that the tunnel would bypass the junction only to release vehicles back onto the same road two kilometres ahead, at considerable ecological cost. He accused the Congress government of responding to concerns about that arrangement by planning another elevated corridor to deal with the traffic problems he said the tunnel would create.
His central objection was that speeding vehicles through one junction would not address the wider network’s congestion. He called for the government to prioritise an extensive and reliable public transport network instead.
Metro station and rail connectivity
Surya pointed to the under-construction Blue Line, the planned Red and Orange lines and suburban rail converging at Hebbal. He said these services, taken together, could make public transport a compelling option and offer sustainable relief from congestion.
He also alleged that the important Veterinary College station on the Red Line had been dropped to accommodate the tunnel and elevated road. According to Surya, the station would serve more than 18,000 riders a day; he argued that Metro and suburban rail work should be expedited instead of making space for the road projects.
Cost and design questions
Surya said IISc had confirmed that a tunnel road costs six times as much per passenger as Metro. He further said the state Finance Department had questioned the short tunnel’s need, high cost, design risks and potential to create new bottlenecks.
Those assessments were cited by Surya in his statement. His post did not include the underlying IISc or Finance Department documents.
Calling on BDA to stop the short tunnel project, Surya said Bengaluru should focus on building public transport quickly to manage its core traffic problems effectively and sustainably.
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