Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari told the Lok Sabha on Thursday that of the 10 construction packages of the Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway, work is in progress on six packages. In Tamil Nadu, the road runs for 106 km and work has begun in three packages. He was replying to an unstarred question.
The last package, which runs for a length of 12 km with the other half in Andhra Pradesh, too has been awarded to a contractor and the work is likely to commence in a couple of weeks. The length of the greenfield fully access-controlled signal-free elevated expressway is 262 km and runs through Karnataka (71 km), Andhra Pradesh (85 km) and Tamil Nadu (106 km).
The four-lane wide expressway would cost ₹12,500 crore and is expected to be completed in two years. In Tamil Nadu, the expressway would run through Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Vellore and Ranipet districts.
The project, being taken up under the National Highways Development Project, would allow motorists to reach Bengaluru in under three hours from Chennai, depending on the speed.
“This road is designed for a speed of 120 kmph and all other factors permitting, motorists can clock such speeds on it,” said a source. It would be completely fenced off, to ensure no animals stray onto the road, which would not have any service lane for local traffic. The road crosses built-up area only at two locations, the source added.
