The current time to travel between Chennai and Bangalore is 5 to 6 hours. But with the completion of this expressway in 2024, the travelling time between the two cities will be reduced to maximum 3 hrs.
Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway: Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has shared his optimism regarding the progress of the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway and the ring road connecting towns around Bengaluru. He stated that both projects are on track to be completed by December 2024. The completion of the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway is expected to significantly reduce travel time between the two cities to just two hours, a remarkable improvement in connectivity. This development is set to strengthen the link between two major IT hubs in the country, facilitating smoother business operations and paving the way for increased collaboration among multinational companies and industries.
At present, the average commute time between Chennai and Bengaluru by road is 5 to 6 hours. The new expressway will shorten the distance between Bengaluru and Chennai from 300km to 262km and will reduce the travel time to 2-3 hours.
Alternate route to travel between Bengaluru and Chennai
The Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway is poised to become the most direct route connecting Chennai and Bengaluru. Currently, there are three alternative routes available for travel between Chennai and Bengaluru, including the Hosur and Krishnagiri route (part of the Golden Quadrilateral), the Old Madras Road, and the Kolar-KGF-V Kota and Vellore route.
Among these options, the most commonly preferred route is the Golden Quadrilateral, which spans approximately 380 km.
Bangalore Chennai Expressway Route
Starting from Hoskote on the outskirts of Bengaluru, it will pass through Malur, Bangarpet, Kolar Gold Fields(KGF), Palamaner, Chittoor, Ranipet towns on the way. The expressway will end at Sriperumbudur in Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu.
- Hoskote, Karnataka
- Malur, Karnataka
- V Kota, Andhra Pradesh
- Palamaner, Andhra Pradesh
- Gudiyatham, Tamil Nadu
- Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu
- Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu
Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway – Key Features
- This is an four-lane access-controlled expressway passing through Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
- This highway is one of the 26 new green expressways being constructed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
- Out of 262 kilometres, 85 km falls in Tamil Nadu, 71 km in Andhra Pradesh, and 106 km in Karnataka.
- The estimated cost of the project is Rs 16,700 core and the foundation was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2022.
- Cities in this route include Hoskote, Malur, Bangarpet, Kolar Gold Fields(KGF) in Karnataka, Palamaner, Chittoor in Andhra and Ranipet in Tamil Nadu.
- In Chennai, to ensure seamless connectivity to the Expressway, the state government is planning a corridor connecting the Pallavaram flyover to the Chennai bypass (Perungalathur – Madhavaram) at Tambaram. Also, the road connectivity from the Bengaluru-Chennai expressway and East Coast Road to the GST road will also be enhanced.
- At present, the average commute time between Chennai and Bengaluru by road is five to six hours. The new expressway will shorten the distance between Bengaluru and Chennai from 300km to 262km and will reduce the travel time to 2-3 hours.
- The expressway is designed for 120 kmph speed and slow-moving vehicles, bikes and auto rickshaws will not be allowed on the corridor.
Bangalore Chennai Expressway: Estimated toll rates
Following are the proposed toll rates:
- Light weight vehicles like cars, and jeeps- Rs 0.65 per km
- Large goods vehicle and Mini bus- Rs 1.05 per km
- Buses and trucks- Rs 2.20 per km
- Three axle trucks- Rs 2.40 per km
- Multi-axle trucks- Rs 3.45 per km
- Oversized trucks- Rs 4.20 per km
The permitted limit speed on this expressway is 120 km per hour which reduces the distance between these two cities by approximately 80 km.