Nirmala Sitharaman inspects Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway works near Devanahalli

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday inspected the ongoing construction and development works of the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway at Devanahalli as part of the ‘Pragati Road Yatre Darshan’ programme.

During the visit, Ms. Sitharaman reviewed the progress in road construction, traffic management measures and infrastructure development associated with the Greenfield expressway project developed under the Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase-I scheme to provide high-speed and uninterrupted connectivity between Bengaluru and Chennai.

The Union Minister said projects like the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway reflect the commitment of the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to build quality infrastructure that accelerates economic growth and improves ease of life for citizens.

He stated that the expressway will strengthen connectivity to major industrial and logistics hubs including Hoskote, Malur, Bangarpet, Narasapura Industrial Area and Aerospace and Defense Parks.

“The project is also expected to improve access to the proposed Multimodal Logistics Park at Dobbspet via the Bengaluru Ring Road network,” he added.

The Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway has been identified as a priority corridor under the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor. The project begins at Hoskote near the junction of NH-4 and NH-207 in Karnataka.

The Karnataka section of the highway is 71 km and consists of three packages: Hoskote-Malur (26.4 km), Malur-Bangarpet (27.1 km) and Bangarpet-Bethamangala (17.5 km). While the Karnataka section will be completed and become unofficially accessible to motorists by December 2024, sections in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are under construction.