Chennai–Bengaluru Highway Widening Nears Finish Line

The six-lane widening of the 36.08 km stretch of the Chennai–Bengaluru National Highway between Walajah and Karaipettai is expected to be completed by September 2025, according to officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

As of now, 33.25 km of the stretch has been completed, with the remaining work progressing on schedule. The project, initially launched in 2018 at an estimated cost of ₹766.51 crore, has faced multiple delays due to material shortages and pandemic-related disruptions.

In contrast, the adjacent 34 km Sriperumbudur–Karaipettai section, which includes the construction of 16 flyovers and bridges, is expected to be completed only by October 2026. Notably, the 18 km Sriperumbudur–Karaipettai segment was re-awarded to a new contractor in January 2025 for ₹411.16 crore after earlier delays stalled progress.

This 70-km highway corridor, a critical segment of the Chennai–Bengaluru route, carries approximately 75,000 passenger car units (PCUs) daily and is known for having around 70 accident-prone spots, highlighting the urgency of the upgrades.

The project had earlier been hampered by a shortage of soil and fly ash, in part due to inconsistent supply from NTPC’s Vallur thermal plant. These supply issues were later resolved through a structured auction mechanism, allowing construction to resume after intermittent halts since 2021.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.