The short tunnel from Hebbal junction to the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU) in Bengaluru will be executed under the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode, moving away from the earlier plan to implement the project under a hybrid model, according to the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). 

Under the EPC mode, a single contractor will handle the project’s design, procurement, and construction. While tenders for the project have recently been finalised, the estimated construction cost alone has already risen by ₹53 crore. 

Officials said the project was shifted to the EPC mode for faster execution and as the government of Karnataka wants greater control over the project, unlike hybrid models where private players are involved in financing and long-term operations.  

“Under EPC, the government of Karnataka can fund the project directly. The mode also reduces delays linked to revenue-sharing, toll recovery, or financial closure,” the official said, adding that given the complexities involved in tunnelling work, the EPC model was considered administratively simpler and easier to execute. 

The construction was earlier estimated to cost ₹1,086 crore, but the figure has now increased to ₹1,139 crore, a senior BDA official overseeing the implementation said, while maintaining that the overall project cost would not balloon further. 

Recently, Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar announced that Hyderabad-based Rithwik Projects Private Limited, which quoted ₹1,139 crore for the project, had emerged as the successful bidder.

Questions remain unanswered

However, both the BDA, which is spearheading the project to decongest traffic on Ballari Road, and BSMILE, the special purpose vehicle involved in planning the project, are yet to respond to the concerns raised by the State Finance Department. Sources from the Finance Department said that they will again write to the Urban Development Department, seeking a response on their concerns. 

The Finance Department had questioned how such an expensive project – described as a ‘quick fix’ by the B-SMILE — can be justified. To this, the SPV had argued that the short tunnel would serve as a quick fix to the proposed long tunnel project, and help decongest traffic on Ballari Road.  

The Finance Department suggested constructing a surface road, arguing that it could be completed faster and at nearly one-tenth the cost of the tunnel. The department has also raised objections over claims that the project would ease congestion, arguing that it may simply shift traffic bottlenecks elsewhere.

The BDA maintained that road widening is not possible on the stretch, and that the short tunnel would help decongest traffic up to the airport road. 

Officials said that the successful bidder has begun an alignment survey to determine the exact route and engineering configuration of the tunnel, including its entry and exit points, depth, land requirements, and possible impact on existing roads and nearby infrastructure, before construction begins.