Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway Update: When Will Tamil Nadu Portion Be Ready For Opening?

The Tamil Nadu portion of Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway is likely to be completed by August 2025, said Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said in Parliament.

During the winter session of the Lok Sabha, Gadkari said that it is currently at various stages of implementation. He detailed that the 261.70 km-long expressway, which includes 105.70 km in Tamil Nadu, has a total project cost of Rs 7,525 crore.

The expressway construction is divided into four packages, with a trumpet interchange being developed at Irungattukottai to connect with the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway (NH-48). The route starts at Sriperumbudur and concludes at Gudipala in Andhra Pradesh.

Progress reports from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) indicate that substantial advancements have been made on several stretches of the project:

• Gudipala to Walajahpet (24 km): 72% completion
• Walajahpet to Arakkonam (24.5 km): 86% completion
• Arakkonam to Kancheepuram (25.5 km): 52% completion
• Kancheepuram to Sriperumbudur (32.1 km): 65% completion

The NHAI expects the Gudipala to Walajahpet, Walajahpet to Arakkonam, and Arakkonam to Kancheepuram stretches to be completed by March 2025. However, the Kancheepuram to Sriperumbudur stretch will not be finished until July 2025.

The trumpet interchange, which commenced construction in February, has made 15% progress and is anticipated to be completed by August next year.

Initially, the project faced delays due to challenges with land acquisition, approvals for borrow areas, and issues surrounding compensation for land and crops, particularly related to the relocation of extra high tension (EHT) power lines. However, NHAI sources report that work is now advancing rapidly and is on track for timely completion.

Once finished, the Chennai-Bengaluru expressway, which stretches a total of 260 km across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, will be South India's first greenfield access-controlled route. With a project cost of Rs 17,900 crore, the expressway is set to significantly improve connectivity between the two major cities, reducing travel time from the current six hours to under three hours.

This four-lane expressway is designed for future expansion to eight lanes and allows vehicles to travel at speeds up to 120 km/h.