Bengaluru – Chennai Expressway Faces Delay in Tamil Nadu
The construction of the 106-km Tamil Nadu stretch of the Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway has hit another delay due to the relocation of high-voltage power transmission lines. The project, originally scheduled for completion last year, is now moving towards a revised deadline of June 2025. Officials said the key hurdle lies in a 25.5-km section between Arakkonam and Kancheepuram, where 400 kV power towers managed by TANTRANSCO are obstructing about 4.5 km of the planned route. Of the 102 towers identified for relocation, 80 have been shifted, while the remaining 22 are held up due to legal disputes over land acquisition.
The ₹17,000-crore, 262-km four-lane access-controlled expressway will connect Hoskote in Karnataka to Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, allowing vehicles to travel at 120 kmph and cutting travel time between Bengaluru and Chennai from seven hours to just three. It is also expected to divert nearly 25 percent of the traffic from the congested Chennai–Bengaluru bypass.
Progress across states has been uneven. The 71-km Karnataka stretch was completed and opened to traffic in December 2024. In Tamil Nadu, about 80 km of the total 106 km is ready, with the Gudipala–Arakkonam section nearing completion except for a road overbridge. The Arakkonam–Kancheepuram stretch is only 50 percent complete, while the Kancheepuram–Sriperumbudur stretch has reached 70 percent. In Andhra Pradesh, where terrain challenges have slowed work, 68 km of the 85-km section has been completed so far.
