Key Tamil Nadu Stretch Faces Another Delay
The much-awaited Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway is likely to face another delay, with work on a crucial stretch in Tamil Nadu potentially pushing completion back by around a year.
The 262-km greenfield expressway is designed to provide a faster, access-controlled connection between two major southern cities and reduce travel time to around three hours.
However, work on the Arakkonam-Kancheepuram section, one of the project’s remaining bottlenecks, has been stalled for more than a year.
25.5-Km Section at the Centre of the Problem
The affected section is around 25.5 km long and had reached only about 53% physical progress before construction stopped in May 2025 because of financial difficulties faced by the concessionaire.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) subsequently initiated steps to terminate the contract. The contractor challenged the action in court, resulting in a prolonged legal dispute.
With the matter affecting the project’s execution, NHAI has now moved towards finding a new contractor to complete the unfinished work.
Fresh ₹633 Crore Tender Floated
NHAI has floated a fresh tender estimated at ₹633.12 crore for completing the remaining work on the Arakkonam-Kancheepuram stretch.
The new contractor will have 18 months to complete the construction, followed by a five-year maintenance period.
This means the affected section could take considerably longer to finish than originally planned, depending on how quickly the new contract is awarded and construction begins.
Other Sections Are Progressing
The delay is not representative of the entire expressway.
Several other stretches are either complete or nearing completion. In Karnataka, the Hoskote-Bethamangala section, covering about 71 km, has already opened to traffic.
Other packages in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have also progressed substantially.
The Arakkonam-Kancheepuram stretch, however, remains particularly important because the expressway cannot provide a continuous end-to-end connection until the missing links are completed.
Another Section Also Needs Work
The Kancheepuram-Sriperumbudur section has faced delays as well. A portion of the work there has been held up by the shifting of high-tension power lines and towers.
Once the necessary clearances and utility-shifting work are completed, the remaining construction is expected to take several months.
These delays have contributed to uncertainty over when the entire corridor will become operational.
Project Cost Has Increased
The delays have also affected the project’s cost.
The cost of the Arakkonam-Kancheepuram package has increased from around ₹1,155 crore to ₹1,525 crore, according to reported government data.
Across the identified project stretches, the overall estimated cost had risen from approximately ₹7,811 crore when the project was initiated to ₹10,507 crore by March 2026.
What the Expressway Will Change
Once completed, the Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway is expected to provide a faster alternative to the existing highway network.
The corridor will improve connectivity between Bengaluru, Kolar, Chittoor, Kancheepuram and Chennai, while potentially reducing travel times for passengers and freight operators.
It is also expected to strengthen logistics and economic links between Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Partial Opening Could Come Earlier
NHAI has indicated that it may explore phased commissioning wherever feasible rather than waiting for every section to be completed.
This could allow usable portions of the expressway to open earlier and provide some benefits to commuters while construction continues on the remaining sections.
Summary: The 262-km Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway is facing another delay, with the stalled 25.5-km Arakkonam-Kancheepuram section emerging as the main bottleneck. NHAI has floated a fresh ₹633.12-crore tender, giving the new contractor 18 months to complete the work. Other sections are progressing, and phased opening may be considered while the remaining work is completed.
