Chennai, DHNS: 84% land acquisition completed in K'taka for Rs 7,000-cr project. The expressway will pass through Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and all the three states have approved the final alignment for the green field initiative which is estimated to cost around Rs 7,000 crore. DH file photo
Bids to execute the 262-km Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway to facilitate high-speed travel between the two cities will commence by the end of the current financial year.

The expressway will pass through Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and all the three states have approved the final alignment for the green field initiative which is estimated to cost around Rs 7,000 crore.

Speaking at the Regional Editors Conference organised by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) here, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Chairman Raghav Chandra said 2,062 hectares of private land and some parcel of forest land was required for the project.

Karnataka has completed acquisition of 84% of the 690 hectares required for the project and the process of issuing the third notification has been completed. In Andhra Pradesh, issue of the third notification has been completed for 76% of the 388 hectares required for the project. In Tamil Nadu, the process of land acquisition has commenced but the third notification is yet to be issued for 694 hectares, he said. Issue of the third notification indicates that the process of land acquisition has been completed.

“Our officers are in touch with authorities in Tamil Nadu urging them to expedite the process of completing land acquisition. We expect the process to be completed in all the three states in a few months and bids to execute the project will commence by the end of the financial year,” Chandra said. Simultaneously, the NHAI has applied for environment and wildlife clearance with the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) as seven-km stretch (total 64 hectares) will pass through the Kaundinya Wildlife Sanctuary in Palamaner Reserve Forests in Andhra Pradesh, the officer said.

The six-lane toll-expressway with a 120 km/hr speed design will have eight major bridges and 103 minor bridges and will pass through the districts of Bengaluru Rural and Kolar in Karnataka, Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh, Vellore, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur in Tamil Nadu. It will start from Hoskote and end at Sriperumbudur, around 40 km from Chennai.

The last mile connectivity between Hoskote and Bengaluru and Sriperumbudur and Chennai is already in place, Chandra pointed out. The toll road will be on a Design-Build-Finance-Operate pattern wherein the concessionaire will in accordance with the model concession agreement take the responsibility to carry out construction, maintenance and operation of the project.