‘Will Bengaluru tunnel road project be scrapped if…’: MP PC Mohan questions BBMP

Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan has once again raised strong objections to the proposed tunnel road project in the city, questioning both its public support and the financial accountability surrounding it.

What the MP said

Taking to social media platform X, Mohan demanded clarity from the BBMP on whether the project will be scrapped if citizens overwhelmingly reject it in the civic body’s ongoing public opinion survey. “BBMP says they will incorporate public comments on tunnel roads. Citizens of Bengaluru have suggested dropping the project. If BBMP is incorporating public comments sincerely, the project should be dropped, right? Who’s responsible for the ₹14.2 crore spent on the DPR?” he wrote.

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Mohan's concerns come amid growing public opposition to the 18-km tunnel road, which is planned between Hebbal and the Silk Board Junction at an estimated cost of ₹8,043 crore. In January, a group of Bengaluru residents had written to the BBMP urging the civic agency to hold a thorough public consultation before taking the project forward.

The controversy deepened after the Detailed Project Report (DPR), prepared by Rodic Consultancy Private Limited, was found to contain glaring errors. The report’s executive summary mistakenly mentioned cities like Nashik and Malegaon instead of Bengaluru—what Mohan described as a “cut-and-paste” blunder. He also pointed out that the DPR bizarrely referenced unrelated projects such as Mumbai’s Coastal Road, undermining the report’s credibility.

In a letter addressed to BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath, Mohan criticized the quality and speed of the DPR’s preparation. “A comprehensive DPR typically takes 12 to 18 months and includes extensive geotechnical surveys. This one was wrapped up in just three months, which is highly unrealistic,” he wrote.

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The MP reiterated his call to prioritize public transport improvements, such as expanding the Namma Metro and strengthening the BMTC bus network, instead of pursuing costly and controversial infrastructure like tunnel roads. “This project won’t solve Bengaluru’s mobility crisis—it will make it worse,” he said.