Bengaluru | September 11, 2026
The Karnataka government is considering shifting the proposed alignment of Bengaluru’s 16.7-km tunnel road to avoid Lalbagh, following concerns that construction could damage the park’s three-billion-year-old Peninsular Gneiss. The possible change was discussed at the Greater Bengaluru Authority’s second meeting on Thursday evening, chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah? No, the report states the meeting was presided over by Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru development minister D K Shivakumar and Minister Krishna Byre Gowda. The government is examining alternatives for the tunnel’s entry and exit points and ramps.
The proposed tunnel road has faced criticism from environmentalists and Lalbagh park users because its earlier alignment was planned to cut through the park. According to the report, officials have been instructed to assess the advantages and disadvantages of shifting the tunnel’s access points and ramps outside Lalbagh. The government has not announced a final replacement alignment or confirmed that the original proposal has been abandoned.
“We are exploring alternatives,” Shivakumar told reporters, according to the report. His statement indicates that the project remains at the option-assessment stage, with the government weighing changes before finalising the alignment. The authorities have not disclosed a revised route, the locations of possible alternative ramps or a revised project schedule.
The earlier proposal involved acquiring five acres of land for the tunnel road. The project is estimated to cost Rs 16,980 crore and would extend for 16.7 km. The reported review is therefore focused on changing the project’s access arrangements rather than cancelling the tunnel road itself. Details of how any realignment would affect the project’s cost, construction timeline or land requirements were not provided.
The Lalbagh concern centres on both the park’s environmental importance and its geological formations. Peninsular Gneiss in the area is estimated to be around three billion years old. The report does not specify the extent of any anticipated damage, the engineering assessment conducted so far or whether a formal environmental or geological clearance process has been completed.
The Greater Bengaluru Authority meeting also cleared 11 other proposals, including a Rs 450-crore infrastructure development project for the Outer Ring Road and projects related to road white-topping. The government’s next step on the tunnel road is to examine alternative entry and exit locations and ramps before determining whether the alignment should be changed to avoid Lalbagh.
