Bengaluru-Chennai expressway inauguration delayed until December 2025

The much-awaited Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway, spanning 262 km, was initially scheduled for completion by August 2025. However, due to construction delays, the inauguration is now expected by December 2025, after the monsoon season.

Frequent postponements have been attributed to financial issues and land acquisition challenges. While the Karnataka section is fully completed and operational, portions in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh remain under construction. The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, recently provided an update in Parliament, stating that Tamil Nadu’s 106 km Greenfield Expressway is being built in four phases, covering Gudipala (AP) to Sriperumbudur.

Delays have been caused by land compensation disputes and utility relocations. The Walajapet-Arakkonam section is expected to finish by July, while the Kanchipuram-Sriperumbudur segment should be ready by September. The expressway, starting from Hoskote (Bengaluru) and ending at Sriperumbudur (TN), passes through Chittoor (AP) and covers three states in ten construction phases. Karnataka’s 71 km section is already completed, while work in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu is ongoing. This controlled-access highway will initially have four lanes, expandable to six or eight lanes based on traffic demand. Vehicles can travel at a maximum speed of 120 km/h, significantly reducing travel time between Bengaluru and Chennai.

Progress in different sections varies:

Walajapet to Arakkonam – 90% complete

Arakkonam to Kanchipuram – 52% complete