How Karnataka plans to tackle Bengaluru traffic with 40-km tunnels and 500-km metro lines

2 min readBengaluruUpdated: Jul 8, 2026 08:39 PM IST

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar announced that the state is investing around Rs 1.5 lakh crore in Bengaluru's infrastructure (File photo),

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said Wednesday that the government is spending around Rs 1.5 lakh crore on the development of Bengaluru and would offer a double floor area ratio (FAR) in tier-2 and tier-3 cities to enable the construction of multi-storeyed buildings. FAR is a zoning metric that regulates how much one can build on a piece of land.

Speaking at an event held at Manyata Tech Park, Shivakumar said the government is prioritising smooth traffic flow. “We have already planned 350 km of metro connectivity, and aim to extend it to 500 km by next year,” he said, noting that 30,000 new vehicles are being registered in Bengaluru per month.

To ease the traffic congestion near Hebbal, the government has launched a small tunnel road project. The government is also building a 40-km tunnel road in Bengaluru, which will be discussed in the upcoming Cabinet meeting, and an order will be issued as soon as possible. “Along with these, we have planned a 44-km double-decker flyover project. We have planned a 133-km flyover project. We are also constructing a 123-km Bengaluru Business Corridor,” he said.

On high office rents in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said office rents are less than half in the state’s tier-2 cities. The government will double the FAR allowed in these cities, he said, allowing for the construction of high-rise buildings.

The event was organised by the Department of Electronics, Information Technology and Biotechnology for the CM to interact with Global Capability Centre leaders. Following the meeting, he said that the government has indicated it will provide land at lower rates to start industries in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.