The Tamil Nadu end of the Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway, the part Chennai drivers care about most, is the furthest behind. Three of its four packages were between 90% and 99% complete by early September 2026, but the 25.5 km Arakkonam–Kancheepuram stretch was only 53% done after its contractor stopped work in May 2025. NHAI has invited fresh bids for the balance, worth Rs 633.12 crore, with an 18-month completion period, DT Next reported.
So an uninterrupted expressway drive from Sriperumbudur to Hoskote is still well over a year away, even though long stretches in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are already open. Here is where each section stands and what it means for a trip to Bengaluru now.
The route in brief
The expressway, numbered NE-7, runs about 262 km from Hoskote near Bengaluru to Sriperumbudur near Chennai, Deccan Herald reported from Union minister Nitin Gadkari’s reply in Parliament. It is a greenfield access-controlled road, separate from the existing NH-48 through Vellore and Krishnagiri. The packages are built on the hybrid annuity model, where the government pays part of the cost during construction and the rest as annuities. The original deadline was 2024.
Section-by-section status
Figures below are from NHAI’s update as reported by DT Next on 3 September 2026.
| Stretch | Length | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| Bengaluru–Malur–Bangarpet–Bethamangala (Karnataka) | 71.7 km | Complete, open |
| Bethamangala–Byreddypalli (AP) | 25 km | Opened June 2026 |
| Byreddypalli–Bangarupalem (AP) | 31 km | 93%, target 30 October |
| Bangarupalem–Gudipala (AP) | 29 km | Complete |
| Gudipala–Walajahpet (TN) | 24 km | 99% |
| Walajahpet–Arakkonam (TN) | 24.5 km | 98% |
| Arakkonam–Kancheepuram (TN) | 25.5 km | 53%, re-tendered |
| Kancheepuram–Sriperumbudur (TN) | 31.7 km | About 90%, target 31 October |
In January 2026, Gadkari told the Lok Sabha that three Tamil Nadu packages covering 80.2 km were about 90% complete and expected by July 2026, and that the stalled package’s concessionaire was being replaced, Swarajya reported. Those targets slipped into August and October. The Madras High Court disposed of a related dispute on 20 August, leaving a Rs 180.17 crore claim to arbitration.
Earlier delays across the project were put down to land acquisition, shifting of extra-high-tension power lines, railway clearances, forest approvals and the relocation of religious structures. Gadkari told Parliament those issues had since been resolved.
What is open, and the tolls
With the Bethamangala–Byreddypalli section opened in late June 2026, nearly 100 km is now continuous from Hoskote into Andhra Pradesh. Asianet Newsable reported these tolls for Hoskote to Baireddipalle:
- Car, jeep or van: Rs 195 one way, Rs 290 return
- LCV or minibus: Rs 315 one way, Rs 470 return
- Truck or bus: Rs 655 one way, Rs 985 return
- Monthly pass: Rs 6,465 for 50 one-way trips
The Tamil Nadu sections near Chennai had not been formally opened to traffic in the reports available as of mid-October. Tolls for them will be notified when they open.
What it means for a Chennai to Bengaluru trip
For now, most drivers will still use NH-48 through Sriperumbudur, Vellore and Krishnagiri for the Chennai end, joining the expressway only on the Karnataka side if at all. Once the full road opens, the hope is that Bengaluru–Chennai travel time falls by two to three hours compared with the current highway, according to reporting on the June opening. That figure is a projection, not a measured time.
Driving the route today
If you set out for Bengaluru from Chennai this month, plan on the old highway for the Tamil Nadu stretch. Do not try to use unopened expressway carriageways or service roads that end at construction sites. On the Karnataka side, the open expressway is the faster option into eastern Bengaluru at Hoskote, while the old highway remains more direct for Electronic City and south Bengaluru.
- Keep your FASTag topped up. Toll plazas on the expressway and on NH-48 both deduct electronically, and a monthly pass on the expressway suits weekly commuters.
- Fuel and food stops on a new greenfield expressway are fewer than on the old highway, so fill up before you join it.
- Check NHAI or traffic police updates before night travel during the monsoon, when work zones can be waterlogged.
Chennai’s own last mile is a separate project. The stretch from Sriperumbudur into the city along the existing NH-48 towards Maduravoyal is not part of these packages, so traffic will still funnel onto the Poonamallee High Road corridor.
Quick answers
Is the Chennai–Bengaluru Expressway open?
Only in part. The Karnataka section and part of Andhra Pradesh, nearly 100 km, are open. The Tamil Nadu sections are not yet fully open.
Why is the expressway delayed in Tamil Nadu?
The Arakkonam–Kancheepuram contractor stopped work in May 2025. NHAI has re-tendered the remaining work with an 18-month timeline.
How long is the expressway?
About 262 km from Hoskote to Sriperumbudur.
What is the toll on the open stretch?
Rs 195 one way for a car from Hoskote to Baireddipalle.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Fresh tender floated for stalled Arakkonam-Kancheepuram stretch of Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway (DT Next)
- Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway Phase III: Lok Sabha reply (Swarajya)
- Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway: new 25 km stretch opens, toll charges announced (Asianet Newsable)
- Karnataka leg of Bengaluru-Chennai e-way will be fully ready by December: Gadkari (Deccan Herald)
