Chennai-Bengaluru expressway to cut travel time to two hours : Gadkari

• PTI

• Published On Feb 25, 2026 at 06:05 PM IST

Gadkari also said the Delhi-Dehradun expressway is ready and reiterated plans to shorten the Delhi-Chennai corridor by 320 km.

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Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said travel time between Chennai and Bengaluru will be reduced to just two hours once the new expressway is commissioned by the end of this year.

The Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway is about 260 km long and partially operational at present.

Speaking at the 3rd Edition of Build India Infra Awards, the minister said the expressway from Delhi to Dehradun is ready, and you can go within two hours.

“By the end of this year, the Chennai-Bangaluru expressway (will be operational). That is within two hours,” the road transport and highways minister said.

We will reduce the distance between Delhi and Chennai by 320 km, and the most important thing is that we want to make eco-friendly roads, he said, adding that there is huge potential for tunnel construction in the country.He also said that a new experiment for hydrogen fuel filling stations is being undertaken on ten routes.

The filling station is very important, and there are dark areas where we need more research, development and collaboration with international companies, he added.

The minister also said that there will be strict action against those contractors who commit fraud.

He also stressed the need for developing strategic infrastructure, especially roads connecting with neighbouring countries.The government is formulating a policy where states will be helped to construct national highway standard roads, he added.