After 15 months of waiting, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has terminated its contract with D.P. Jain, the contractor for the Arakkonam-Kancheepuram stretch of the 263-km Bengaluru-Chennai Greenfield Expressway.

The NHAI has floated fresh tenders for completing the remaining works at a cost of ₹633.12 crore within 18 months under the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode. The new contractor will also have to maintain the stretch for a period of five years.

This follows the disposal of two writ appeals filed by the company in the Madras High Court. The company has, so far, completed only 11.33 km, or 53.56% of the 24.5-km-long section of the road. The company had stopped all construction work by May 2025. The works that remain to be completed include nine major bridges, one railway overbridge, two grade separators, two minor bridges, 18 underpasses, and 44 box culverts.

Second termination notice

This is the second time the NHAI has issued a termination notice to the company during the construction of the four-lane, access-controlled road passing through three States. The first such notice was issued in November 2025. The 71-km stretch of road in Karnataka – Hoskote-Malur (26.4 km), Malur-Bangarpet (27.1 km), and Bangarpet-Bethamangala (17.5 km) – has been completed, and vehicles are using it informally. In Andhra Pradesh, the works are expected to be completed by the end of October.

In Tamil Nadu, motorists have been permitted to use the Gudipala-Walajahpet section, 99% of which has been completed. Similarly, 98% of the Walajahpet-Arakkonam stretch has been completed, and motorists are using most of this section as well. Around 90% of the Kancheepuram-Sriperumbudur section has been completed, and it needs to be connected to the trumpet interchange. Work on the trumpet is under way on the existing Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway. Around 40% of the work on the trumpet near the Sriperumbudur toll plaza, being constructed at a cost of ₹112.46 crore, has been completed.

“Only the shifting of EHT towers belonging to the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. and Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation Ltd. needs to be completed. That work is also progressing after we took up the issue with the Tamil Nadu government for an early resolution. The three-stretch project in the State, being executed at a cost of ₹4,657 crore, is likely to be ready by the year-end,” explained a source in the NHAI.

The final stretch from Gudipala to Walajahpet begins at Gudipala in Andhra Pradesh, near Chittoor CMC Hospital, and has border check posts on either side of the road. It also has an elephant pass that is slowly turning green, thanks to the seeds and saplings planted on top of it. Lighting has been provided near the entry and exit ramps. The road, which starts on the Andhra Pradesh side at Chittoor, will pass through Vellore, Ranipet, Kancheepuram, and Tiruvallur districts in Tamil Nadu.

Much-needed relief

A retired highways engineer said the road was almost a straight line and was not intended to connect temple towns or villages. “It is meant for people who want to reach Bengaluru and Sriperumbudur from the other side. Industrial development can take place alongside the road if land parcels are made available. This road would also be convenient for heavy vehicles. Two- and three-wheelers would not be allowed on the expressway,” he added.

Infrastructure enthusiast P.S. Kumar, who works in Tirupati and travels regularly to Chittoor, said driving on the Bengaluru section was a very smooth experience. “I like to drive to Bengaluru and Mysuru quite often to visit relatives. You won’t feel the distance when you travel on this new road. Vehicles can easily touch 120 kmph. And since local vehicles and animals will not get onto the carriageway, it is safe to drive on the expressway,” he said.

S. Yuvaraj of the Tamil Nadu Sand Lorry Association said the government should take steps to complete the stretch in Tamil Nadu at the earliest. “My wife and I have travelled via the completed portions in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The road is really world-class. There are no towns nearby. Efforts must be made to provide eateries, petrol bunks, mechanic shops, toilets and rest areas along the road.”

Six-lane highway

As far as the existing Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway is concerned, the road is being widened into a six-lane facility. The 34-km stretch from Sriperumbudur to Kavarapettai is yet to be completed because the previous contractor could not complete the work. Seventeen structures – two flyovers and 15 underpasses – remain to be completed at various stages due to issues related to fly ash.

The work was awarded to another contractor at a cost of ₹341.50 crore, who has so far completed one flyover and six underpasses. So far, 24 km of the road has been widened to six lanes. The remaining work is expected to be completed by April 2027.