Tejasvi Surya Opposes Rs 1,139 Crore Hebbal to Mekhri Circle Tunnel Project

On Sunday, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya publicly opposed the foundation stone laying of a Rs 1,139 crore, two-kilometer tunnel project planned for the corridor between Hebbal and Mekhri Circle. Surya criticized Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's launch of the project, calling the proposed tunnel an unscientific solution to traffic congestion and a "tombstone of scientific urban planning" in the city.

Surya raised concerns over the project's viability by citing its own Detailed Project Report (DPR). According to the MP, the DPR admits that the tunnel will be saturated with traffic from its very first day of operation, rather than five or ten years down the line. He questioned who the project was intended for if it is projected to begin its life in a traffic jam.

The MP alleged that the corridor is designed to benefit a privileged few, including the Chief Minister and the elite residents of Sadashivanagar who use the route to reach the airport, while ordinary taxpayers across Bengaluru are left to foot the bill. He further alleged that the primary beneficiaries of the project would be contractors rerouting kickbacks to Congress party funds.

Instead of the tunnel, Surya urged the government to prioritize public transport and fast-track the proposed Red Line Metro corridor. He stated that public transport is the only proven long-term solution to congestion, arguing that both flyovers and tunnels will ultimately fail.

Surya also referenced past statements by Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, who has previously argued that short flyovers cannot solve traffic congestion. Surya questioned how a short tunnel could serve as a solution if short flyovers could not, and called on the minister to stand up against the project.

He concluded by stating that the short tunnel must not become a gateway to a larger tunnel network, asserting that the city needs more Metro routes, buses, better suburban rail, and improved urban planning rather than expensive, failed monuments.