Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway to be ready by December? We're trying, says Gadkari
- Once completed, it promises to reduce travel time between Chennai and Bengaluru to just two hours.
Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway is likely to be completed by the end of this year and open for commuters. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is working in tandem with the state government in Tamil Nadu to finish construction of the greenfield expressway soon. The minister said that he is hopeful that commuters will be able to use the Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway from December this year.
Gadkari informed the Parliament today (February 8) that his ministry is trying its best to complete the project within this year. "I am giving confidence to the House ... that we are trying our level best to complete the highway before December," he said.
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The Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway will connect the capital cities of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka through an eight-lane highway. It is designed for a speed of 120 kmph and shortened the distance between Bengaluru and Chennai from 300 kms to 262 kms. According to the minister, one would need just two hours to drive between the two cities through this greenfield expressway. The cost of this project is pegged at ₹16,730 crore.
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Construction of the Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway has been facing certain roadblocks which, Gadkari said, is being sorted out with the help of MK Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He said NHAI and state officials are in talks to speed up construction work to meet the deadline. In January last year, Gadkari had said that the Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway should be ready by March this year. However, the deadline has since been pushed back due to various reasons.
The Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway will also be known as the National Expressway 7 or NE7. It will start from Hoskote in Bengaluru and terminate at Sriperumbudur near the state capital of Tamil Nadu. The expressway will pass through Bangarpet in Karnataka, Palamaner and Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh en-route to Sriperumbudur. The expressway is being constructed in two phases. Around 85 kms of the expressway will go through Andhra Pradesh. It will also pass through eco-sensitive zones like the Palamaner Reserved Forest area and the Kaundinya Wildlife Sanctuary.
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