Bengaluru To Chennai Expressway Set To Fully Open By August 2025: Karnataka Packages Complete, TN And AP Sections Make Steady Progress

Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari recently indicated that the Bengaluru-Chennai greenfield expressway will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi before December this year.

While the Karnataka section of the expressway (71 km) is nearly complete, significant work remains in Andhra and Tamil Nadu packages.

Completed sections include Hoskote to Malur (26.4 km) at Rs 2,761.12 crore, Malur to Bangarpet (27.1 km) costing Rs 1,496.30 crore, and Bangarpet to Bethamangala (17.5 km) at Rs 1,047.63 crore.

Removal of a hillock to facilitate the construction of a minor bridge is only work that remains to complete in Karnataka.

Responding to any question posed by Rajya Sabha member P.Wilson, Gadkari provided details on the completion status of the four packages of the expressway currently under execution in Tamil Nadu.

Even though Gadkari continues to sound optimistic about the December 2024 inauguration, analysis of the progress on various packages suggests that the realistic time frame for completion of all packages is August 2025 except for one package in Andhra which is likely to be operational in early 2026.

In Tamil Nadu, the greenfield expressway, which runs a distance of 106 km, and was awarded to be constructed under four packages – Gudipala (AP) to Walajahpet, Walajahpet to Arakkonam, Arakkonam to Kancheepuram and Kancheepuram to Sriperumbudur.

The physical progress of the work ranges from 78 per cent in Walajahpet to Arakkonam section to 51 per cent in Arakkonam to Kancheepuram section,

3 packages in Andhra

The work on three packages in Andhra was delayed due to the need for securing environmental clearances.

In March 2023, the National Board for Wildlife gave its nod for the commencement of construction work near the forest reserve and wildlife zone area as part of the second phase of the expressway.

The second phase required additional clearance from the Wildlife Board as the proposed alignment passes through Palamaner Reserved Forest (RF) area. Around 50 km in the second phase falls within the 'Eco-sensitive Zone' (defined as an area within 10 Km radius from the outer boundary of the sanctuary) of the Kaundinya Wildlife Sanctuary.

While the second phase of the expressway does not pass through any ecological protected area (Wildlife Sanctuary/ National Park, Tiger Reserve or Eco-sensitive zone), Kaundaniya Wildlife Sanctuary exist within 10 Km radius of the project alignment.

The project alignment also passes through Palamaner Reserved Forest Area, under Chittoor Forest Division and constitutes a part of Rayala Elephant Reserve. Around 54 64 acres of forest reserve area was acquired

The project's second phase is 85 km long and runs mainly through Andhra, except for a 5.5 km stretch in Karnataka. 

The second phase of the expressway starts near N.G.Hulkur Village, next to Bangarpet in the Kolar district of Karnataka and ends at Ramapuram Village in Gudipala mandal in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.

Montecarlo Ltd. (MCL) ,PCO Infratech Pvt. Ltd and Dilip Buildcon Ltd. (DBL) have been awarded the construction packages under this phase.

The second phase will comprise 17 major bridges (one major canal over the bridge), 34 minor bridges, 20 vehicular underpasses, eight vehicular overpasses, 26 light vehicular underpasses, two toll plazas, and four interchanges.

Part of Palamaner Reserve Forest constitutes Rayala Elephant Reserve, and elephant movement routes run along the project alignment at three locations.

Since part of the proposed expressway passes through Rayala Elephant Reserve and the Eco-sensitive Zone of Kaundinya Wild Life Sanctuary, the project alignment overlaps three Elephant movement routes.

To avoid habitat fragmentation and severance problem due to the proposed expressway, NHAI provided adequate design measures in the form of bridges, elephant underpasses, and culverts in the forest stretch.

Based on a survey of elephant movement routes in consultation with the forest department, elephant underpasses have been proposed at 3 locations.

As additional measures for ensuring the free movement of wild animals in the forest stretch, minor bridges have been proposed across all the streams intercepted by the project alignment in the forest area. A total number of three box culverts have also been proposed, which will also provide access to the small size wild animals.

The Wildlife Board had directed NHAI to ensure that the wildlife area is utilised for the expressway and not for any commercial purpose.

The Wildlife Board also said that diversion work for the project would be executed under the supervision of the Forest Department, and the areas of diversion need to be demarcated by the agency before the commencement of work. The board ordered that the agency cannot carry out excavation work in the surrounding forest land to collect earth.

About Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway

The 262 km-long Bengaluru-Chennai expressway is being built at a cost of nearly Rs 18,000 crore and will pass through the states of Karnataka (71 km), Andhra Pradesh (85 km), and Tamil Nadu (106 km). 

The expressway is being developed under the NDA government's flagship infrastructure scheme - Bharatmala Pariyojana. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid its foundation stone on May 26, 2022.

The under-construction expressway (BCE), upon completion, is set to reduce the travel time between the two metropolises to under three hours.

The four-lane, access-controlled road starts at Hoskote near Bengaluru, Karnataka, and terminates at Sriperumbudur near Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The expressway is being developed at the cost of Rs 16,500 crores.

The construction of the 262 km main carriageway is being executed in three phases( with each phase covering the alignment of Karnataka, Andhra, and Tamil Nadu, respectively). Tenders have been awarded on all packages of the three phases, and work is in full swing.

The expressway will feature  71 vehicle underpasses, overpasses, and light vehicular underpasses, three rail bridges, 31 major bridges, 25 minor bridges, 147 culverts, six toll plazas, and five interchanges. The highway would have two rest areas for use by travelers and two truck lay bays. 

Note: The completion date of the Andhra Package 2 (Baireddypalle to Bangarupalem) was updated after the article was originally published. Thanks to X user @manachittooru for pointing to the latest written submission on MoRTH on progress of Andhra packages