How Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway will reduce travel time, benefit 3 states

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Chennai today (May 26) to dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone for 11 infrastructure projects worth over ₹31,500 crore.

These projects are a step towards boosting infrastructure development, enhancing connectivity, and giving an impetus to ease of living in the region and will also help significantly improve socio-economic prosperity in the region, have a transformative impact on several sectors and also help create employment opportunities, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.

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He will dedicate to the nation five projects worth over ₹2,960 crore, and will also lay the foundation stone for six projects being built at a cost of over ₹28,540 crore.

One of the projects for which the PM will lay the foundation stone is the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway (BCE).

BCE to pass through 3 states

The 262 km long Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway will be built at a cost of over ₹14,870 crore.

It will pass through three states – Karnataka (71 km), Andhra Pradesh (85 km) and Tamil Nadu (106 km) and help reduce the travel time between Bengaluru and Chennai. This expressway is being developed as a part of the Bharatmala Pariyojana.

This access-controlled greenfield highway will not only improve connectivity between the two cities, it will also greatly enable the economic prosperity of the region.

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The expressway is divided into 10 packages – three each in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, and the remaining six in Tamil Nadu. In April, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) said 45 km is in the implementation stage.

Union minister Shri @nitin_gadkari ji approved 2 road projects. This includes 4 Lane Bangalore-Chennai Expressway from Kancheepuram to Sriperumbudur section worth Rs. 2948.31 Cr under Bharatmala Pariyojana in the state of Tamil Nadu…

— Office Of Nitin Gadkari (@OfficeOfNG) February 19, 2021

This project was identified as one of the priority projects under the Chennai-Bangalore Industrial Corridor (CBIC). It will provide connectivity to the proposed Multimodal Logistic Park at Dobbaspet which can be accessed through NH 207 or Bangalore Ring Road from BCE.

Advantages

The new four-lane wide expressway between Bengaluru and Chennai will not only reduce the travel time but will also reduce fuel costs, and improve economic activities in the three states.

Suresh Krishna, State President, CREDAI Tamil Nadu, told The Hindu, “The project will also increase economic activity in the region by opening up new areas for industrial development. There is potential for manufacturing facilities, warehousing facilities along the corridor. Also, the project will be closer to the port and will facilitate easy cargo movement on the corridor.”

“This project shall facilitate better connectivity between Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu States. Implementation of the project would result in development of basic infrastructure, industrial development and better connectivity between Bengaluru and Chennai, which would result in the overall economic development of the region,” the MoRTH said.

Those using this expressway have to pay toll fees. However, they will have a smooth and safe journey without worrying about pedestrians, cattle, or junctions. On this highway, one can drive at high speeds of 120 km per hour.

This expressway is expected to be ready by March 2024, and the travel time between the two cities of Bengaluru and Chennai is expected to be under three hours.

“The travel time between Chennai and Bengaluru would be reduced to two-and-half hours with all the safety features once the expressway is ready,” Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari had said in February 2021.

The Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway starts from Hoskote (NH 4) near Bengaluru and ends at Sriperumbudur, about 40km from Chennai. The highway passes through Kolar (Karnataka), Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh), and Kancheepuram (Tamil Nadu).

Current connectivity

There are two existing roads connecting Bengaluru and Chennai, one (about 340 km) is via Hoskote, near Bangalore to via Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, then to Chennai and the second (about 360 km) is via Electronic City (Bangalore) to Hosur, Krishnagiri (Tamil Nadu) and then to Chennai. The alignment of the proposed expressway is passing in between these two stretches.

At present, the most used road between the two cities is via NH 44 and NH 48, through Hosur, Krishnagiri, and Vellore.