‘Tunnel road = Real estate’: Bengaluru residents slam plan to allow high-rises near controversial project
Bengaluru's ₹17,800-crore tunnel project is facing backlash over potential high-rise developments near entry points.
A viral post on X (formerly Twitter) by a city resident has reignited debate over Bengaluru’s controversial Hebbal-to-Silk Board tunnel road project, after reports that the state government plans to permit high-rise buildings up to 15 floors near the proposed tunnel shafts.
The post, which quickly gained traction online, read, “Repeat after me Bengaluru: Tunnel Rd = Real Estate, tunnel Rd = Real Estate, Tunnel Rd = Real Estate. Perverse plan: 5 shaft sites, 5 structures with at least 15 floors & extendable concession period. Looks, behaves and speaks like real estate, then it’s real estate.”
(Also Read: Skyscrapers in green zones? Bengaluru’s tunnel project may pave the way for ‘vertical concrete forests’)
The reaction came in response to reports that the Rs17,800-crore underground tunnel project, one of Bengaluru’s costliest mobility proposals, could open opportunities for private developers to build high-rises on government-owned land around tunnel entry and exit points. The plan is being framed as part of an effort to attract private investment for the massive infrastructure project.
How did X users react?
Several users echoed the criticism, calling the move a “real estate play” that could further strain Bengaluru’s environment and resources.
One user wrote, “So there will be destruction of greens with no visible change in the traffic chaos... add to this the high rises which will be an additional burden on the city’s resources.”
Another compared it to the NICE Road (Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor) project, saying such initiatives often begin as public infrastructure plans but end up benefitting private builders.
Some residents drew parallels with the city’s commercial boom, with one comment reading, “Reminds me of when they built that mall near our neighbourhood. They said it’s for public good but it just made traffic worse and houses more expensive.”
However, not all voices were critical. Defending the project, another user wrote, “Cry cry cry!! Tunnel road is much needed and will happen! When R.G.R. privatised higher education, activists said corruption, but that made Bengaluru Silicon City! Tunnel road will make Bengaluru boom again!”
The Tunnel Road proposal
The Hebbal–Silk Board Tunnel Road is being positioned as a solution to Bengaluru’s chronic traffic congestion. The 50-km tunnel, proposed in 2022, aims to connect north and south Bengaluru through an underground corridor. It is expected to be built under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
Citizens and activists, however, have repeatedly flagged the potential loss of tree cover, risk of groundwater disruption, and the tendency for such mega-projects to turn into “real estate-led development corridors.”
(Also Read: Bengaluru tunnel road project: Underground corridor to connect major party of city, reduce traffic congestion)
