Tunnel vs surface road: Land needed is same, say experts

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumars recent reply to BJP MLC CT Ravi revealed that 32.29 hectares (79.79 acres) of land will be acquired for the proposed 16.7-km Tunnel Road Project (TRP) between Hebbal and Silk Board. An expert analysis has compared this land requirement with the length of regular surface roads that could be built using the same area. Explaining the comparison, Rajkumar Dugar, founder of Citizens for Citizens, said the land to be acquired for the tunnel road could instead be used to construct 16.1 km of a two-way, two-lane road with a median and footpaths, or 11.5km of a 3+3 lane road with median and footpaths. Questioning the logic, Dugar said, With 80 acres to be acquired for this project, the very basis for taking it up, because land required for regular surface roads is huge, turns out to be hollow. Eight entry and 8 exit ramps of average 1.1km length each, as well as massive ventilator shafts, will need a lot of land. So, why should we opt for the 16km Tunnel Road Project, which needs land that can accommodate a 16km two-lane or an 11.5km six-lane road? Instead, the focus must shift fully to completing infra projects languishing for years, improving drainage, footpaths and existing roads, along with quick and drastic improvements to the three modes of public transport -- bus, metro and rail, he said. Another independent mobility expert, Satya Arikutharam, highlighting what the acquired land will be used for, said, The land acquisition is primarily for shaft locations, which is planned to become commercial complexes after completing the tunnelling. Basically, public investment for private profits. Indeed, it is a modified Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model. The proposed North-South tunnel road corridor from Hebbal to Central Silk Board, a pet project of Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio, is aimed at easing traffic congestion in Bengaluru. The project intends to divert vehicles underground, thereby reducing the burden on surface roads. The corridor is expected to significantly cut travel time and streamline vehicular movement across the citys busiest stretches. It is positioned as a major infrastructure initiative to tackle Bengalurus long-standing traffic woes.