Bengaluru will soon say goodbye to traffic chaos on the airport route as the city gears up for the eastern connectivity tunnel, the construction of which is scheduled to begin later this year. This tunnel will provide a direct and quicker route to Kempegowda International Airport. The tunnel will connect the eastern parts of the city benefitting travellers from the areas of Whitefield, Sarjapur and Mahadevapura, aiming to reduce travel time by at least 30 minutes.
The tunnel will aid in alleviating the heavily congested Hebbal flyover by providing an alternative route from the eastern state highway. The new infrastructure will likely divert about 30 per cent of airport-bound traffic and improve vehicle flow across the city, an Indian Express report said.
The tunnel is expected to be completed in three years time and will provide a reliable route for airport-bound passengers.
All about the eastern connectivity tunnel
The eastern connectivity tunnel is a part of an expansion project by Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which is investing an amount of Rs 16,500 crore to upgrade and expand the airport.
These developments will cater to the rising demand in the aviation sector which is estimated to see 85 million passengers annually by 2030-32.
The initiative also includes the construction of two new metro stations within the airport, upgradation of taxiway system for smoother aircraft movement and the development of Terminal 3 to accommodate the increasing passenger load.
In the meantime, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar recently stated that work on the underground tunnel road in Bengaluru is scheduled to start in the early months of 2025. He said this project provide a solution to the city’s notorious traffic congestion.
“Even after metro operations, traffic has not significantly declined. The underground tunnel project will start in the first half of 2025. This project will solve all of Bengaluru's traffic problems,” Shivakumar said.
