Bengaluru - Chennai Expressway Completion Pushed to Early 2027
The 263.5-km Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway, spanning Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, is now likely to be fully operational by early 2027 due to delays in land acquisition, forest clearances and financial issues. The project, being executed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), is designed for speeds up to 120 kmph and is expected to reduce travel time between the two cities from around six hours to just over two hours.
Out of the total length, 234.8 km has been completed, while 28.6 km remains pending. The Karnataka stretch of 71.7 km is fully operational, Andhra Pradesh has completed 78.5 km out of 85 km, and Tamil Nadu has completed 84.7 km of its 106 km portion. The total project cost is ₹17,692 crore.
Officials said delays were primarily due to financial stress faced by the concessionaire, and steps have been initiated to substitute the contractor through lender intervention. Once the remaining works are completed, the expressway is expected to significantly boost inter-state connectivity and ease traffic congestion between Bengaluru and Chennai.
