A budget of Rs 9.45 crore has been allocated by the Congress government for preparing the detailed project report (DPR) for an 18 km tunnel between Hebbal and Silk Board Junction. The cost of the DPR for this project will be borne by the Brihat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palika (BBMP). Notably, the cost for preparing the DPR for a 37 km stretch of metro line, between Sarjapur and Hebbal, was Rs 1.58 crore.
Rodic Consultants Pvt Ltd has been hired by the BBMP to prepare the DPR for the tunnel project. The tender process saw only two bidders, with Rodic Consultants emerging as the sole successful bidder after Altinac Consulting Engineering Inc’s bid was rejected. The initial estimate for the DPR was Rs 15 crore, but Rodic Consultants was selected as they offered a lower cost.
Earlier this year, BBMP had allocated Rs 4.7 crore for an infrastructure plan to address Bengaluru’s traffic issues, with Altinac Consulting recommending tunnel roads as a solution. The cost of DPR for Bengaluru’s metro projects has been significantly lower. For instance, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) spent Rs 1.56 crore on the DPR for the 37 km Sarjapur-Hebbal line and Rs 78 lakh for a feasibility study for a double-decker corridor.
BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath defended the high DPR cost, stating that the tunnel project is complex and unique to Bangalore, and the selected bid was lower than the initial estimate.
