68 Km Section of the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway in Karnataka Opened

The much-awaited 262-km Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway has received some good news in recent days, with a 68-km stretch from Hoskote to Bethamangala in Karnataka unofficially opening to traffic. Already between 1,600 and 2,000 vehicles are going on the road every day, but toll collection has not yet begun as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is waiting for final approval.

The 260-km expressway, when finished, will deliver a high-speed link between Bengaluru and Sriperumbudur. The government is likely to complete work on the project by the end of this year but will impose restrictions on bikes and autorickshaws for security reasons. NHAI also plans to establish 2 toll plazas in Karnataka and connect the expressway with Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) to enhance accessibility to the neighbourhoods.

Connectivity and Infrastructure Challenges

A significant drawback is still the long queues from Bengaluru on Old Madras Road leading to the expressway, the very reason for which the project was undertaken in the first place. SV Road Metro Station, Byappanahalli, Benniganahalli, Tin Factory, and KR Puram are the key bottlenecks that will become a hurdle for commuters to smoothly reach the new expressway. This aspect led authorities to consider an expansion of the Bengaluru-Kolar highway to ten lanes from its current four to six lanes with the Hoskote toll gate alone recording over 90,000 vehicles per day.

Moreover, an infrastructure constraint near the Hoskote Cloverleaf has set back work on a critical 480-metre ramp and underpass that will benefit the people of Kolathur. Another engineering challenge that needs to be solved before each site is fully netted is the fact that a two-meter-wide water pipeline is blocking the proposed structure.

With the expressway likely to reduce the travel time between the two cities considerably, various issues related to access points and road conditions will need to be addressed by the authorities to ensure seamless connectivity and better roads for commuters.