Bengaluru-Chennai expressway: Travel time to be reduced to 2.5 hours, costs Rs 17k cr; all you need to know

The Bengaluru - Chennai Expressway will be built at a cost of over Rs 16,730 crore and will pass-through states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The 262 km long expressway is expected to help reduce travel time between Bengaluru and Chennai by 2-3 hours, union minister Nitin Gadkari said today.

Gadkari, who took to Twitter, said that the project is cost-efficient for vehicle operators and lessens fuel consumption. "It will strengthen the economic activities in Bengaluru and Chennai and also connect industrial hubs in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to the Chennai Port," he said.

Gadkari added that the 285.3-km four-lane project would also help save travel time. "This would help avoid delay in passing through major towns and congested areas, he added. "This Bharatmala project in Karnataka covering 71.7 km will cost Rs 5,069 crore."

"By making this road we will reduce the logistic costs. Already, 231 km of construction is underway. By March 2024, we want to complete this project," he added.

At present, the average commute time between Chennai and Bengaluru by road is about five to six hours.

Bengaluru-Chennai expressway: All details

The Bengaluru-Chennai expressway is one of the 26 new green expressways, the foundation for which was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2022.

The new expressway is expected to shorten distance between Bengaluru and Chennai from 300km to 262km. The expressway will start from Hoskote on the outskirts of Bengaluru, and will pass through Malur, Bangarpet, Kolar Gold Fields(KGF), Palamaner, Chittoor, Ranipet towns on the way. The destination is Sriperumbudur in Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu.

This project has been divided into three phases of construction by the National Highway Authority of India.

On completion goal, Nitin Gadkari said, "By February 2023, the Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway Project will be completed. I saw some work pending on the stretch. We will invite either Prime Minister Narendra Modi or President Droupadi Murmu for the inauguration."
 

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