While the debate over the tunnel road project continues, B-SMILE has prepared drafts of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for 13 elevated corridors spanning 126 km, estimated to cost the government ₹18,000 crore – about ₹142 crore a km.
The elevated corridors are one of the four major infrastructure projects planned by the government to decongest Bengaluru. The others include the tunnel road project, Sancharayuktha – construction of roads along the Storm Water Drain (SWD) buffer zones, and the white-topping of city roads.
The initial proposal, submitted to the government in 2024, included building elevated corridors covering 110 km, estimated to cost around ₹13,200 crore, excluding land acquisition. Now, the project has been extended to 126 km with an estimated cost of ₹18,000 crore, also excluding land acquisition. The State may have to spend an additional ₹4,500 to ₹5,000 crore on land acquisition.
B.S. Prahallad, Technical Director at B-SMILE, told The Hindu that traffic density on several corridors turned out to be higher than initially projected, prompting an increase in the corridor length.
Packages and Tenders
According to a B-SMILE document, the works have been divided into 13 packages: five packages for stretches between 0 and five km, three packages for five and 10 km, and five packages for corridors above 10 km.
The B-SMILE plans to build 72 km, about 57.14% of the total length, as three-lane corridors, while the remaining 54 km will have two lanes, according to Mr. Prahallad.
The draft DPR will be submitted to the government on Tuesday. Once approved, the B-SMILE will float tenders for the 13 packages, with a deadline of 30 months.
B-SMILE will also invite suggestions from the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) and the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) for any design modifications.
New technology for Bengaluru
According to a GBA source, Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) technology will be used to construct the elevated corridors, ensuring greater durability, faster completion, and improved aesthetics.
Typically, flyover and metro spans range from 18 to 25 metres, sometimes extending to 35 metres. In this project, where UHPC will be used, each span will be moulded to 45 to 50 metres, with a maximum possible range of 60 metres. Spans are primary carriageway structures placed between two supporting pillars or piers.
“As each span can be 45 to 50-metre-long, nearly double the usual length of spans used in the city, the work can be completed much faster. Longer spans also make the structures more visually appealing,” said the GBA official.
Public-private partnership model
While the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model is the preferred choice for funding, the B-SMILE has not yet finalised the approach. The decision will also depend on whether the government chooses to include toll plazas or make the elevated corridors toll-free.
The B-SMILE is also yet to finalise a compensation model for those losing land to the project. Transferable Development Rights (TDR), Floor Area Ratio (FAR) benefits, and direct cash compensation are among the options being considered.
Earlier, tenders worth ₹17,698 crore were floated for the Tunnel Road Project in July, while white-topping works are already under way. The B-SMILE will soon take up the Sancharayuktha project.
Although both tunnel road and Sancharayuktha projects have drawn widespread criticism from the public, the government remains firm on moving ahead with them.
However, the public were not pleased due to the projects’ potential environmental impact. Ranjith Kumar, a resident of Koramangala, said the Ejipura flyover had remained incomplete nearly a decade after the construction began. “There are several flyovers like Ejipura that are still unfinished despite being launched years ago. These elevated corridors are also likely to meet the same fate,” he said.
Published – October 13, 2025 09:03 pm IST
