High-Rise Buildings To Be Allowed Along Bengaluru's Tunnel Road: Report

High-rise towers of at least 15 floors are expected to rise across Bengaluru’s most sensitive green zones as the state government has eased construction norms to attract private investment for the Rs 17,800-crore tunnel road connecting Hebbal and Silk Board Junction, reported Deccan Herald.

According to tender documents, the government will allocate six acres across five prime sites—Hebbal, Race Course, Palace Grounds, Lalbagh, and Silk Board Junction—where the selected bidder can use an unprecedented Floor Space Index (FSI) of 5, five times higher than the current limit. Together, these sites span around 25,000 square metres and will be converted into dense commercial hubs, overriding existing environmental restrictions.

Officials who spoke to DH said the relaxations are aimed at making the 16.75-km “twin-tube underground road” financially viable, as 60 per cent of the project’s funding is expected from private partners. However, mobility experts warn the move could worsen congestion by drawing more vehicles into the city’s core areas.

The tender grants the concessionaire complete rights over ancillary revenues, including commercial activities, toll collection from passenger vehicles and buses for 34 years (extendable by 10 years), and advertisement rights. The assets must be returned to the state on an “as-is, where-is basis" after the concession period, which could extend up to 44 years.

Currently, Bengaluru allows a maximum FSI of 3.25 along 100-feet roads. Builders say the new FSI could permit towers of up to 40 floors on 5,000 sq. metre plots.

Urban expert Satya Arikutharam criticised the plan as “perverse mobility planning rooted in flawed priorities,” warning that it will “generate more traffic by allowing new commercial activities” instead of offering sustainable transport solutions.

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