Bengaluru-Chennai expressway completion delayed to June 2026

The much-awaited Bengaluru-Chennai expressway (BCE) is now projected to be fully completed by June 2026, a delay from the previous deadline of August 2025, due to ongoing construction work. 

Also Read: Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway opens in Karnataka, full completion expected soon

The 262-km greenfield expressway, being developed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), aims to improve connectivity between Bengaluru and Chennai while boosting economic activity along its route. Currently, only 71 km of the expressway has been completed, with remaining sections still under construction. The stretch in Karnataka was finished and unofficially opened for local travel in December 2024, while the portions passing through Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are still in progress. 

In a response to a query from Rajya Sabha MP Lahar Singh Siroya, Union Minister for Road Transport, Nitin Gadkari confirmed that the remaining sections of the expressway will be completed by June 2026. The Rs 17,000 crore project is a four-lane, access controlled highway stretching from Hoskote in Karnataka to Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. It is designed to be a faster alternative to the existing 340-km route via Hosur, Krishnagiri, and Ranipet, significantly reducing travel time and easing congestion on the old highway.

The expressway is divided into three construction packages in Karnataka:

Package 1 (Hoskote to Malur)
Package 2 (Malur to Bangaret)
Package 3 (Bangarpet to Bethamangala)

Once finished, the expressway is expected to enhance economic activity and improve travel efficiency between Bengaluru and Chennai.