TIRUPATI: Two major national highway projects in Chittoor district are nearing completion, promising faster travel to Chennai and Bengaluru.
Together, they represent an investment of Rs 8,925 crore. The Chittoor–Thatchur six-lane expressway (NH 716B), launched in 2022 at a cost of Rs 4,000 crore, is almost finished. The 116 km stretch runs from Mapakshi near Chittoor to Thatchur in Tamil Nadu, with 62.3 km in Chittoor district, 12.7 km in Tirupati district, and the remainder in Tamil Nadu.
Access will be restricted to four entry and exit points — Chittoor, Gangadhara Nellore, Srirangarajapuram and Nagari. The Rs 4,925 crore Chennai–Bengaluru Expressway is also progressing rapidly. Traffic has already been permitted between Bengaluru and V Kota, with more than 90 per cent of work between V Kota and Bangarupalem complete.
Construction near Mogili Ghat is pending forest clearance, but officials expect completion by September. Project Director A Karthik Reddy of NHAI said 92 km of the Chittoor–Thatchur stretch will open by March-end.
He emphasised that the new highway will improve access to Chennai Port, strengthen regional connectivity and boost trade and industrial growth across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.