Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway: Karnataka's 71 km Stretch Set For November Launch

At the end of November 2024, India is expected to complete a 71-kilometer stretch of the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway that runs through the state of Karnataka. This has been confirmed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which represents a major milestone in the pursuit of the project’s completion.

(Image for representation purpose only) Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway: Karnataka's 71 km Stretch Set For November Launch

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The expressway is planned in phases and will cover a distance of 260 kilometers connecting Bengaluru and Chennai and in turn reducing the distance between the two cities significantly. However, the stretch in Karnataka has experienced some hold-ups, courtesy of the temple near Hoskote that is found at Jinnagara Cross which had to be relocated. Now that the temple has been re-sited, the construction work has recommenced at top speed. The entire Karnataka portion of the expressway is already over, with just 400 meters left to the end, claimed Vilas P. Brahmankar, NHAI’s Bengaluru Regional Officer.

When the entire expressway is completed and open to the public, it will provide a four-lane high-speed connectivity between the three southern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. This is a ₹17,900 crore project, which is South India’s first ever greenfield expressway and will change the way people travel between Bengaluru and Chennai, as it proposes to eliminate the seven hour journey into a mere three hour drive.

In Karnataka, the expressway is being developed in three phases. In which the Package 1 is for the 27.1 km of Hoskote to Malur portion, Package 2 is for the Malur to Bangarpet (27.1 km), and Package 3 is for the Bangarpet-Bethamangala (17.5 km) covered length. By the end of November, all these sections will be fully open for commuters.

Visions for the project completion were set for by late 2024; these have regrettably been revised to late 2025 for full works to be undertaken. However, the introduction of the Karnataka stretch by the end of this month is a significant development, allowing the movement of people and goods between Bengaluru and Chennai to be quicker, safer and more effective.