Will There Be Light at the End of the Tunnel?

Infrastructure bottlenecks and governance gridlocks hobble Bengaluru's long, arduous trek to be a nerve centre of creativity and the beating heart of modern India.

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The city needs pace; it also needs peace. Additional Chief Secretary Tushar Girinath, a technocrat who has seen from close quarters the rapid growth of the megapolis, in an interaction with TNIE says, contrary to widespread criticism, the tunnel road project connecting Hebbal to Central Silk Board is an idea whose time has come, while putting a plethora of administrative challenges in perspective. Excerpts:

There's criticism that the government is rushing the tunnel road project without proper consultation. Why the hurry?

There's no hurry. Bengaluru's roads are choking. The average speed across the city has dropped to what experts classify as Grade F - the worst possible level. Whether it's elevated corridors or tunnel roads, both are on the table because the number of vehicles almost equals our population. Any project, whichever one you pick, will take four to five years to materialize. Of course, every big project will have pros and cons. But this isn't being done in a vacuum. We've worked with mobility experts, followed the prescribed circulation studies, and consulted plans before moving ahead.

Have scientific studies been done before pushing the tunnel road project?

Yes, studies have been done, including soil studies and detailed traffic assessments. Since this is a toll-based project, financial projections had to be worked out carefully. We're using a modified BOOT (Build, Own, Operate, Transfer) model, where the private party invests its own money upfront and recovers it through toll collection. The government only provides the Viability Gap Support. While some say we're hurrying, within the government, there's concern that we've taken too long, that there's been too much back-and-forth and too little movement.

Several studies, including one by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), suggest tunnel roads could be a disaster for Bengaluru.