Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway: If people in Bengaluru want to visit a beach today, they usually need to travel at least seven hours to reach Mangaluru or
Karwar, and more than twelve hours to reach Goa. But this could soon change. A new expressway may reduce the travel time to the nearest beach to just three hours, said a media report. The Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway (NE-7) is now in its final and most difficult stage of construction. The road will connect South India’s two biggest business cities. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has confirmed that the full 263-kilometre road will open to the public in early 2027. The expressway is part of the PM Gati Shakti scheme. It aims to cut the current travel time between Bengaluru and Chennai from nearly seven hours to just 2.5 to 3 hours. Work has moved fast in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, but delays in Tamil Nadu have pushed the completion date forward. With its completion, the travel distance between Bengaluru to its nearest beach will be reduced to three hours, stated a report by News18. Also Read: Bengaluru Water Cut Tomorrow: Key IT Hub Areas to Face Supply Disruption - Check Timings, More
Progress across three states
The expressway is divided into ten construction packages across three states. By February 2026, around 235 kilometres, or 89 per cent of the total road, had been completed.
Karnataka (100% complete):
The 71.7-kilometre stretch from Hoskote to Bethamangala is fully ready. Vehicles already use this section, which has reduced traffic towards Kolar and the KGF area.
Also Read: Bengaluru–Chennai 2-Hour Travel Dream Pushed Beyond 2026; One State Slows 263-Km Project
Andhra Pradesh (92% complete):
This 85-kilometre section passes through Palamaner and Chittoor. Only a 6.5-kilometre portion near the state border remains unfinished. Officials stated that the progress slowed down due to difficult rock formations that posed a great challenge for workers.
Tamil Nadu (80% complete):
This state has the biggest delay. Out of 106 kilometres, only about 85 kilometres are ready. According to officials, the last 28.6 kilometres is creating issues, especially the one from Arakkonam till Kancheepuram.
Bengaluru Chennai Expressway Completion Date
The project was supposed to be completed by 2024 or 2025. However, several issues caused delays. Now, it will be opened in 2027. One of them was financial trouble on the Kancheepuram stretch.NHAI had to replace the company so that work could continue. The project also slowed down because workers had to cut through hard rock in the Eastern Ghats. Officials needed forest clearances for some sections. Heavy and unseasonal rains in Kancheepuram and Sriperumbudur over the past two years further delayed roadwork.
Design and economic benefits
The Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway is a greenfield project. This means engineers built it on a completely new route through undeveloped land. The road allows a top speed of 120 kmph. It has four lanes and a wide 90-metre Right of Way. Authorities can expand it to eight lanes in the future without buying more land.
The expressway will support the Chennai–Bengaluru Industrial Corridor. It will help industries in Hoskote and Sriperumbudur and boost electronics and manufacturing units along the route.
The project includes 17 major flyovers and 41 underpasses. A large 30-acre roadside facility is coming up at Iythandahalli. It will have a trauma care centre, a helipad, and several food outlets for travellers.
Once complete, the expressway will transform travel between Bengaluru and Chennai and make coastal trips faster and easier for Bengalureans.
