The 262-km-long proposed greenfield road connecting Chennai with Bengaluru is progressing with nearly 85 per cent of the land acquisition process being completed in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and 60 per cent completed in Tamil Nadu.

Though environmental and forest clearances are underway, physical possession of lands for the project is likely to begin in March. Recently, a separate Project Implementation Unit (PIU) was created and will be headed by an officer in the rank of a Project Director, explained sources in the National Highways Authority of India, which is implementing the project.

“The mode of funding and implementation are under discussion. We are considering implementing the six-lane project in a phased manner,” said a source. The road will require nearly 2,300 hectares of land and take three years to construct after the completion of land acquisition.

The original alignment of the road has been changed as it passes through reserved forest areas in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and 7 km in the Royal Elephant reserve in Andhra Pradesh.

Underpasses were planned for vehicles at elephant crossings. Routes taken by elephants have been identified and efforts would be taken to minimise man-animal conflict at these points, officials said. The road would also have four road overbridges across level crossings. There are two in Tamil Nadu and one each in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The proposed road would be an access-controlled one and would have several major interchanges with entry/exit points every 25 km.

The project would aid in the development of areas alongside the route from Hoskote near Bengaluru to Sriperumbudur. The expressway would serve as an alternative to the existing and popular national highways from Bengaluru to Krishnagiri, Ranipet to Krishnagiri and Chennai to Ranipet. The road currently in use is stretched beyond limits and carries heavy to very heavy traffic during the weekends.