Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway Set to Fully Operational by August 2025

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

The Karnataka portion of the expressway, spanning 71 km, is nearly finished, whereas substantial work remains in the Andhra and Tamil Nadu segments.

Completed sections include Hoskote to Malur (26.4 km) at a cost of 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.

The only remaining task in Karnataka is the removal of a hillock to facilitate the construction of a minor bridge.

Responding to a question posed by Rajya Sabha member P. Wilson, Gadkari provided updates on the completion status of the four packages of the expressway currently underway in Tamil Nadu.

Despite Gadkari’s optimism about the December 2024 inauguration, an analysis of the progress suggests that a realistic timeframe for the completion of all packages is August 2025, with one package in Andhra likely to be operational in early 2026.

In Tamil Nadu, the greenfield expressway, which covers a distance of 106 km, is divided into four packages: Gudipala (AP) to Walajapet, Walajapet to Arakkonam, Arakkonam to Kancheepuram, and Kancheepuram to Sriperumbudur.

The physical progress varies, with the Walajapet to Arakkonam section at 78% completion, and the Arakkonam to Kancheepuram section at 51%.

In Andhra Pradesh, the work on three packages was delayed due to the need for securing environmental clearances.

In March 2023, the National Board for Wildlife approved the commencement of construction 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 since the proposed alignment passes through the Palamaner Reserved Forest area. Approximately 50 km of this phase falls within the ‘Eco-sensitive Zone’ (defined as an area within a 10 km radius from the outer boundary of a sanctuary) of the Kaundinya Wildlife Sanctuary.

Although the second phase does not pass through any ecological protected areas, the Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary exists within a 10 km radius of the project alignment.

The project alignment also traverses the Palamaner Reserved Forest Area under the Chittoor Forest Division and forms part of the Rayala Elephant Reserve. Around 54.64 acres of forest reserve area were acquired.

The second phase of the expressway is 85 km long, running mainly through Andhra Pradesh, except for a 5.5 km stretch in Karnataka.

This phase starts near N.G. Hulkur Village, next to Bangarpet in the Kolar district of Karnataka, and ends at Ramapuram Village in Gudipala mandal in the 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.

This phase will feature 17 major bridges (including 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 the Palamaner Reserve Forest constitutes the Rayala Elephant Reserve, with elephant movement routes intersecting the project alignment at three locations.

To avoid habitat fragmentation and disruption due to the proposed expressway, the NHAI has incorporated design measures such as bridges, elephant underpasses, and culverts in the forest stretch.

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

As additional measures to ensure the free movement of wild animals in the forest area, minor bridges have been proposed across all streams intercepted by the project alignment. Three box culverts have also been proposed to provide access for small-sized wild animals.

The Wildlife Board has mandated that the NHAI ensure the wildlife area is utilized solely for the expressway and not for any commercial purpose.

The Board also stipulated that the diversion work for the project must be carried out under the supervision of the Forest Department, with demarcation of the diversion areas by the agency before commencing work. The agency is prohibited from carrying out excavation work in the surrounding forest land to collect earth.