Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway To Cut Travel Time To 2 Hours, To Be Ready By Year-End

Nitin Gadkari, the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister, announced on Thursday that the eagerly awaited Bengaluru-Chennai expressway will open to the public ahead of schedule, either by the end of 2023 or at the latest by January of the following year. Initially projected for completion by March 2024, this greenfield project carries a budget of Rs 17,000 crore.

This expressway, spanning 285.3 kilometers and featuring four lanes, is expected to significantly reduce travel time between the two major metropolitan areas to just two hours. Gadkari made this announcement during a press briefing at the 75th anniversary celebration of Ashok Leyland in Chennai on Thursday.

"I conducted an assessment of the progress of National Highways projects in Chennai today. The Bengaluru-Chennai express highway is on track to commence operations by the end of this year or in January 2024. Therefore, luxury buses and sleeper coaches can be introduced on this route," the minister informed the PTI news agency.

He also elaborated on the broader infrastructure developments, stating, "We are actively building robust road networks, connecting Delhi to Chennai via access-controlled highways, encompassing Surat, Nasik, Ahmednagar, Kurnool, Chennai, Kanyakumari, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad."

Gadkari expressed his satisfaction with the progress of National Highway projects and anticipated the commencement of work on the Chennai Port-Maduravoyal Elevated Expressway project in the near future.