Overview

• Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari told Parliament the 262‑km, ₹15,188‑crore greenfield corridor will miss earlier targets and is now slated for completion between December 2025 and March 2026.
• Delays stem from slow compensation and public resistance in Karnataka, wildlife clearances near Koundinya Sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh, and controlled rock blasting and earthwork challenges in Tamil Nadu, along with pending ROB approvals and a concessionaire’s financial constraints on one package.
• NHAI data shows uneven progress across packages, with physical work ranging from roughly 53% to over 90% and about 71 km already completed, including stretches informally accessed since December 2024.
• Operational and safety concerns persist on opened sections, with illegal two‑wheeler entry through gaps in incomplete fencing prompting an NHAI request to deploy home guards at toll plazas and vulnerable points.
• The expressway is designed for speeds up to 120 km/h and to shorten the current route by about 80 km, with the government projecting a travel time cut to roughly three hours once fully operational; one outlet reports some segments may extend to mid‑2026.