Once Bengaluru-Chennai expressway is ready travel time between the two cities to shrink to 2.15 hours, says Gadkari

Gadkari sets March 2024 deadline for completion of the project

After conducting an aerial inspection of under construction Bengaluru-Chennai expressway in Hoskote, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways told the reporters that once complete, the motorists will be able to travel between two cities in 2.15 hours. The expressway is designed to drive vehicles at a speed of 120 kmph. After doing the aerial inspection, the helicopter on which the minister was travelling landed on the helipad built on the under construction expressway.

“At present, travel time taken between Bengaluru and Chennai is around 5 hours. Once the expressway opens, the travel time will get reduced to 2.15 hours. The distance between two destinations is 300 km and with the implementation of the new road project, travel distance gets reduced to 262 km. The NHAI is aiming to complete by March 2024. The expressway will be connected with the proposed Bengaluru ring road. The total cost of the project is ₹17,000 crore,” the minister said. Out of total length, 71 km length falls within Karnataka and rest in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

The minister added the contract has been already awarded for the entire stretch and construction initiatives for 231 km of stretch. “The NHAI is waiting for forest clearance to take up construction works in the remaining stretch,” the minister.

The minister said that the expressway will help in reducing the logistic cost and will be reduced from 16% to 6%, this will benefit the traders, businessmen and industries in the region.

The Union Minister said that he has given instructions to the officials to develop Amruth Mahostav bird garden and Amruth Sarovar. The first is aimed at a park reserved for birds by growing indigenous fruit bearing trees and second is for water conservation. These projects will be taken up along the alignment of Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway, Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway and proposed Ring Road on the periphery of Bengaluru.