Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has in Parliament admitted that the long-awaited Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway will now miss its earlier deadline. The ₹15,188-crore, 262-kilometer greenfield project, which promises to improve the lives of the two southern metros by connecting them, is now slated for completion between December 2025 and March 2026.
Citing land acquisition snags in Karnataka as well as delays in environmental clearances and difficulties regarding blasting rocks near residential areas in Tamil Nadu, the minister commented in response to a question from Bengaluru Central MP P. C. Mohan in the Lok Sabha.
Current Status of Construction
Setbacks notwithstanding, a lot of work has been done. Gadkari mentioned that Packages I to III have already been completed, whereas work on the remaining stretches has neared completion. Here are the important sections that currently stand at:
- Bethamangala–Byreddypalli (25 km): 90% complete
- Byreddypalli–Bangarupalem (31 km): 70% complete
- Gudipala–Walajahpet (24 km): 88% complete
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Once fully operational, the expressway will cut down travel time between Bengaluru and Chennai from six hours to just three. It will decongest an already over-trafficked NH-44 and NH-48 corridor, lower logistics costs and boost trade and industry significantly.
Future Expansion of High-Speed Corridors
Gadkari has also revealed that the government is progressing with two additional expressways: Bengaluru–Hyderabad (512 km) and Bengaluru–Pune (700 km). Detailed project reports for both corridors are being drafted as part of the strategy of the Centre to strengthen intercity connectivity and remove bottlenecks in logistics.
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Although the project has been designed as a controlled-access high-speed corridor with a speed limit of 120 kmph for the stock vehicles, concerns regarding safety have, however, emerged. Incomplete boundary walls have given entry to two-wheelers to illegal entrance, notwithstanding the strict rules. Such violations cause a number of safety incidents, which prompt the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to apply for the sanction of deploying home guards in toll plazas and other vulnerable points until the completion of fencing.
A Key Project for Southern Growth
The Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway cross-country is more than just a stretch of road; it is an important infrastructure project that would reshape regional trade and mobility. The delays have disappointed commuters and businesses alike, but these are only temporary setbacks because its eventual launch means transformative benefits for commerce, connectivity and economic growth right across southern India.
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