BENGALURU: A temple that had delayed the work on the Bengaluru-Chennai expressway has been shifted, and the work is in full swing to complete the remaining 400-metre stretch of the road, said National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Bengaluru Regional Officer Vilas P Brahmankar.
The 71-km stretch of the total 260-km expressway falling in Karnataka will be completed by this month-end and opened for traffic. He said the temple near Hoskote at Jinnagara Cross had slowed down the work as it had to be relocated. “Except the 400-metre stretch, the entire 71 km length of the expressway falling in Karnataka is ready. Now that the temple has been relocated, the work is in progress. It will be completed by this month-end,” Brahmankar said.
The Bengaluru-Chennai expressway passing through three states - Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu - is South India’s first greenfield route. It was taken up at a cost of Rs 17,900 crore. The expressway, with the maximum speed limit of 120 kmph, is expected to reduce the travel time between the two cities from the present six hours to under three hours. The construction of the four-lane expressway was divided into three packages in Karnataka -- Package 1 from Hoskote to Malur covering 27.1 km, Package 2 between Malur and Bangarpet covering 27.1 km and Package 3 between Bangarpet and Bethamangala of 17.5 km.
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari aimed to open the entire expressway by March this year. But as the work is yet to be completed in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, it is expected to open for traffic only next year.
“Till the entire 260-km stretch is completed and open for full operation, people will be allowed to use the stretch in Karnataka to reach Malur and Bangarpet,” Brahmankar added.