Bengaluru to get 10-lane NH-44 link to Vijayawada expressway, travel time to drop to 6 hours

NHAI prepares DPR to connect north Bengaluru to the Bengaluru-Kadapa-Vijayawada expressway, upgrading NH-44 into a 10-lane corridor with new interchanges, safety barriers and streetlights.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is preparing a detailed project report (DPR) to strengthen road connectivity between north Bengaluru and the Vijayawada expressway, following the successful linkage of the city’s eastern parts to the Bengaluru-Chennai expressway at Hoskote.

As part of the plan, a 90-km stretch of NH-44, the Bengaluru-Hyderabad highway, will be expanded from four lanes into a 10-lane road. The upgraded corridor will include a six-lane main carriageway running from Devanahalli in Karnataka to Kodikonda in Andhra Pradesh. From Kodikonda, the highway will seamlessly merge with the greenfield Bengaluru-Kadapa-Vijayawada expressway, passing through Kadapa.

The greenfield section of the expressway, developed by NHAI, will cover 342 km between Kodikonda and Muppavaram in Andhra Pradesh. In addition, brownfield upgrades will be carried out on existing routes, including the Bengaluru-Kodikonda stretch of NH-44 and the Addanki-Vijayawada section on NH-16.

Also Read:GBA orders task forces to track road widening, illegal buildings across Bengaluru

Once completed, the expressway is expected to significantly cut travel time between Bengaluru and Vijayawada from the current 11-12 hours to about 6-7 hours. Road widening work will begin from the Bengaluru side at Kannamangala Gate near Devanahalli. Most of the land needed for the expansion is already with NHAI, except at three locations where railway overbridges will be constructed.

The upgraded NH-44 will integrate with the Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) at Devanahalli, with the new 10-lane road passing beneath the existing STRR flyover. A cloverleaf interchange is planned at Kodikonda to ensure smooth connectivity with the expressway. Traffic on STRR towards Hoskote is expected to increase, as it is already linked to the partially operational Bengaluru-Chennai expressway, where toll collection has begun on the 70-km Hoskote-KGF stretch.

Also Read:₹613-crore road cleaning project: GBA prepares tender for 46 sweepers

To address rising traffic and accident risks, NHAI will also install 1.5-metre-high barriers along a 12.5-km stretch between the trumpet interchange and Devanahalli, along with highway streetlights over nearly 12 km. These measures aim to improve safety amid rapid urbanisation and increased traffic between the STRR junction and Hebbal.