Hebbal to Silk Board Tunnel: Bids, Delays and What Flat Buyers Should Ask (October 2026)
Property advertisements across north and south Bangalore keep mentioning a tunnel that does not yet exist. October 2026 finds the scheme between a bid opening and a contract award, with the cheapest offer far above what the state planned to spend. Here is a plain account of what is known, what is unresolved and how a flat buyer can use that information.
Chronology
The cabinet gave its approval in May 2025. Under the chosen structure, a private firm builds the tunnel, collects tolls for 30 years and then hands the road back. Karnataka would cover up to two-fifths of the build cost (40%), with the operator funding the balance.
B-SMILE, the state company running the scheme, called for tenders in July 2025. Four firms took part by the time the extended deadline passed in November 2025, and two met the technical bar. Price envelopes came out in December 2025, and that is when the Adani Group emerged as the cheapest bidder for both lots.
Why Nothing Has Been Signed
The two lowest offers add up to Rs. 22,267 crore, whereas officials had budgeted Rs. 17,698 crore. The shortfall is nearly Rs. 4,569 crore, or about 24% over budget on the first lot and 28% on the second. Offers like that cannot be accepted by the project company alone, so the matter went to the government at the end of May 2026.
Ministers can haggle with the cheapest bidder, increase the budget, or cancel and ask for fresh bids. They had chosen none of these when October 2026 began. Until then, the project has no contractor and no construction date.
What the Plan Contains
Two bores run side by side, each with three lanes heading one way. At the Hebbal end the portal is by the Esteem Mall junction, and the Silk Board end comes out at Central Silk Board. Cars and other motor vehicles will be charged a toll, with rates announced only after the award.
| Lot | Stretch | Official estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Package 1 | Hebbal northwards end to the Seshadri Road and Race Course Road junction | Rs. 8,770 crore |
| Package 2 | That junction onwards to Silk Board | Rs. 8,928 crore |
Builders would get 50 months, counted from the award. People sometimes mix this up with a much smaller tunnel planned at the Hebbal junction on the way to Mekhri Circle. That second project is unrelated and was launched with a foundation stone in June 2026.
The Lalbagh Dispute
To fit the design, the project would use about six acres of Lalbagh during building and around one acre afterwards. Many citizens opposed it. The cabinet dropped a Bill on 3 September 2026 that was meant to open a modest portion of park land to public projects.
The Chief Minister then asked, on 9 September 2026, for options that avoid the Lalbagh land to be examined. Depending on the outcome, the southern route and some ramps could move. That makes the final map as uncertain as the final price.
Who Gains and Who Does Not
Supporters say the trip between the two ends could drop from an hour and a half or more at peak times to around 35 minutes. Only drivers who accept the toll would enjoy that gain. People on buses and the metro see little unless the roads above improve.
A tunnel is not like a metro line. Stations generate pedestrian traffic, shops and a catchment that can be walked. A tunnel carries traffic beneath and only touches the ground at its entries and exits, so land near those ramps benefits most.
The main implications for homes are these:
- Living above the line brings little benefit without a ramp close by.
- The streets around a ramp may face extra vehicle load.
- Several years of excavation at ramp sites will disturb nearby residents.
Neighbourhood by Neighbourhood
The route starts at Hebbal, near the junction of Bellary Road and the Outer Ring Road, with the airport road close by. A flyover is in place and the Blue Line is being built, so a buyer here can weigh the area on those strengths. Other options in the zone are on the North Bangalore page.
The central section goes beneath Mekhri Circle and the Palace Grounds, then Race Course Road and the old city centre. Intermediate ramps would make this the busiest construction zone. It would also react most to any change near Lalbagh.
Silk Board marks the southern end, a short distance from Koramangala and HSR Layout. The Yellow Line already stops there, and Blue Line services are due to start from the same station. For a buyer in this belt, a working metro line today counts for more than a tunnel still on the drawing board.
Applying It to a Purchase
Pay nothing extra today for a road still at the tender stage. With 50 months allowed, an award in late 2026 would mean completion after 2030, and big urban tunnelling jobs in India have often finished later than planned. The priority is a home that suits existing roads and metro lines.
A salesperson who raises the tunnel should be asked if a contract exists and if the route is final. Find out where the closest ramp will be and time the drive to it. Compare prices of similar homes sold without any tunnel story, and count the toll as a daily expense before judging the benefit.
Peak-hour trips by road and metro should be tried before booking. Buyers near a ramp site should expect years of building work. Whatever the transport story, the project's registration with RERA, its title and its khata matter far more than a proposed road.
