CHENNAI: The construction of 106-km Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway in Tamil Nadu, between Gudipala and Sriperumbudur, which was supposed to be completed last year has been further delayed due to the relocation of high-voltage power towers and transmission lines in the Arakkonam-Kancheepuram (25.5 km) section.
These DC towers of 400 kV transmission lines linked to multiple substations in Kancheepuram and Ranipet districts, and managed by the Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation (TANTRANSCO), obstruct nearly 4.5 km of the planned expressway at multiple places on this stretch, officials said.
“Unlike regular land acquisition, relocating power towers involves securing new land parcels, realigning transmission routes, and addressing several technical challenges. Of the 102 towers, about 80 have already been shifted, and arrangements are in place to relocate the remaining 22,” an official said.
The official explained that when the district administration identifies alternative sites for relocating the electric towers, a few landowners challenge the acquisition in court. “These legal disputes further delay the process,” the official added.
The 262-km, four-lane, access-controlled expressway stretches from Hoskote in Karnataka to Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. The construction began in 2019 and was originally slated for completion by the end of 2024. However, the deadline was extended multiple times and is now set for June next year. Once operational, it is expected to reduce travel time between the two cities (Chennai and Bengaluru) to just three hours from the existing six to seven hours.
The Rs 17,000-crore project is designed to allow vehicles to travel at 120 kmph, featuring four lanes with the option to expand to eight lanes in the future. Apart from offering faster connectivity, the expressway is expected to ease congestion on the existing Chennai-Bengaluru bypass. Officials estimate that around 20%-25% of vehicular traffic will be diverted from the bypass to the new expressway.
The 71-km stretch from Hoskote to Bethamangala in Karnataka was completed and opened to traffic in December 2024. In Tamil Nadu, 80 km of the 106-km stretch has been finished so far. In Andhra Pradesh, progress on the Baireddypalle-Bangarupalem section has been slower, as the highway passes through hilly terrain.Out of the 85-km stretch in AP, 68 km has been completed.
TN portion has been divided into four segments: Gudipala-Walajapet (24 km), Walajapet-Arakkonam (25.5 km), Arakkonam-Kancheepuram (25.5 km), and Kancheepuram-Sriperumbudur (31.4 km).
An official of National Highways Authority of India noted, “About 95% of the work in the Gudipala-Arakkonam section has been completed, with pending tasks mainly related to the construction of a road overbridge (ROB) across a busy railway line. The Arakkonam-Katpadi section is one of the busiest in terms of railway traffic.”
Meanwhile, the work on Arakkonam-Kancheepuram section is 50% complete, while that on Kancheepuram-Sriperumbudur section is 70% over. “The works are taking longer than usual, as the road design requires large-scale mobilisation of resources at every stage,” the official said.