Motorists travelling between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have a faster road to look forward to, with nearly 100 km of the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway now open to traffic. The National Highways Authority of India has commissioned a fresh 25-km stretch between Bethamangala and Baireddypalle, marking Andhra Pradesh’s first operational section of the expressway and extending the usable corridor well past the Karnataka border.
A growing stretch of usable highway
The newly opened section adds to the 71-km stretch between Hoskote and Bethamangala in Karnataka that has been functional since the end of 2024. With this addition, drivers can now travel on close to 100 km of high-speed, access-controlled road, moving from NG Hulkur in Karnataka all the way to Baireddypalle without leaving the expressway.
The Andhra Pradesh portion of the project spans 85 km in total, split across three construction packages, and two of those three are already complete. The remaining 11-km section, part of the Baireddypalle-Bangarupalem package, is being held up briefly for an underpass that will let wildlife move safely across the route.
The complete Bengaluru-Chennai expressway is set to be completed by early 2027, as per media reports.
Faster, smoother travel already taking shape
For now, motorists travelling beyond Baireddypalle can continue onward via district roads connected to national highways, reaching Chittoor, Tirupati and Chennai. Once the rest of the 262-km corridor is complete, the full journey between Bengaluru and Chennai is expected to come down from the present 5-6 hours to roughly 2.5-3 hours. This is a sharp improvement for daily commuters, business travellers and freight operators alike who currently rely on the more congested NH-48.
The expressway is built for speeds of up to 120 km/h and is part of the wider Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor.
Toll rates kept accessible
Alongside the new stretch, NHAI has rolled out a revised toll structure, effective from June 25. For cars, jeeps and vans, the one-way toll between Hoskote and Baireddypalle is set at Rs 195, with a same-day return priced at Rs 290. Rates have also been notified for light commercial vehicles, light goods vehicles, minibuses, trucks and buses. Importantly, tolls apply only to vehicles using the expressway’s main carriageway.
The new stretch is supported by toll plazas at Sunderapalya, Krishnarajapura, Hedaginabele, Agrahara and Baireddypalle. The Baireddypalle plaza alone is already seeing steady use, generating close to Rs 2.2 lakh a day in revenue.
More benefits on the way
Beyond the immediate travel time savings, the expressway is already lifting demand for residential and commercial real estate in towns along its path, including Hoskote, Devanahalli and Sriperumbudur.
As more of the corridor opens up, officials expect a steady boost to property values, industrial investment and employment across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, with the remaining stretch progressing steadily towards full completion.