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 Path Yatre Darshan’ programme.

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

The Union Minister said that projects such as the Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway reflected the commitment of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government to building quality infrastructure that accelerates economic growth and improves the ease of living for citizens.

She noted that the expressway would strengthen connectivity to major industrial and logistics hubs, including Hoskote, Malur, Bangarpet, the Narasapura Industrial Area, and the Aerospace and Defence Parks.

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

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

The Karnataka stretch of the expressway spans 71 km and comprises three packages — Hoskote–Malur (26.4 km), Malur–Bangarpet (27.1 km) and Bangarpet–Bethamangala (17.5 km). While the Karnataka portion was completed and became informally accessible to motorists in December 2024, sections in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu remain under construction.