The road is expected to cut travel time to Bengaluru

By March next year, work on the proposed 262-km-long, six-lane, access-controlled Chennai- Bengaluru Expressway project is likely to begin. This road, which passes through Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, is expected to cut travel time to Bengaluru since the existing road via Sriperumbudur is carrying vehicles beyond capacity.

With land acquisition for a total of 2,800 hectares in an advanced stage, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is processing various permissions, including environmental clearance, for the greenfield project along with the land acquisition.

In Tamil Nadu, the final notification for the acquisition was recently published for 540 acres, meaning that the Revenue Department would make payments to land owners soon.

Compensation given

The compensation would be decided based on the National Highways Act and the new Land Acquisition Act. In Karnataka, 85 % of land owners have been paid compensation, said a source in the NHAI.

The final feasibility report for the project is to be ready in two months.

“The funding pattern is still under discussion. The work for the road that is being designed for 120 km/hr speeds is being planned in phases and would be packaged for each State,” he explained.

There would be 60 major bridges, 97 minor bridges, four road over bridges at railway crossings, nine flyovers and three elephant passes, among other structures.

Elephant paths

The green field project road passes through 7 km of the Royal Elephant Reserve in Andhra Pradesh, and about 300 metres of the Mahimandalam forest in Vellore district.

The paths of the elephants would not be disrupted in any manner, but subways would be constructed for vehicles to take.

K. Narayanan, who frequently travels to Bengaluru by road, said a new road would be a welcome move, especially since the current one takes a lot of time. “Waiting at tolls alone takes over an hour. And there are a number of pothole-ridden stretches on the highway where vehicles slow down,” he said.