Overview

• Union minister Nitin Gadkari acknowledged delays driven by land compensation disputes in Karnataka, wildlife clearance requirements in Andhra Pradesh, controlled blasting near habitations and pending railway overbridge approvals in Tamil Nadu, and financial strain on a concessionaire.
• Times Now reports Gadkari now pegs overall completion for July 2026, while MP P. C. Mohan told The Hindu the window could be December 2025 to March 2026.
• NHAI data show uneven progress across contracts, with physical work ranging from roughly 53% to over 90% and several key stretches still to be finished.
• Revised section-wise targets include Bethamangala–Byreddypalli and Kancheepuram–Sriperumbudur by December 2025, with Byreddypalli–Bangarupalem and Arakkonam–Kancheepuram extending toward March 2026.
• The 262-km, Rs 15,188 crore corridor from Hoskote to Sriperumbudur is designed to reduce the route by about 80 km and, once open, could cut the drive to roughly 2 hours 15 minutes.