Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway

The Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway, or National Expressway 7 (NE-7), is a partially operational 258 km (160 mi) long, four-lane (expandable to 8)-wide access-controlled expressway between two of the major metro cities of India, Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka and Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu. It will run from Hoskote in Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority to Sriperumbudur in Chennai Metropolitan Area. It will pass through three states-Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu It allows vehicles to reach a maximum speed limit of 120 km/h (75 mph). The road was designated as a National Expressway on 1 January 2021. The total project value is around ₹17,930 crore (US$2.1 billion).

Construction on the expressway began after Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for it in May 2022. and was supposed to finish by the latter half of 2023. However, due to land acquisition and funding issues, work progressed at a slow pace. Hence, its deadline was rescheduled to January 2024, then March 2024, and was changed again to the end of 2024. Finally, the 71 km (44 mi)-long Karnataka section of the expressway opened in December 2024, while the rest till Chennai is scheduled to be completed by August 2025.

The expressway will bring significant socio-economic benefits and foster growth and development in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, thus resulting in overall advantage to not only southern India, but also whole of the nation as one of the crucial economic corridors. The most direct benefit that the expressway will bring is the travel time and distance reduction, from the existing 7-8 hours and around 350 km to only 2-3 hours and 260 km. The regions adjoining the expressway will be developed as industrial areas and real estate hubs, serving as sources of massive employment, opportunities and trade, with the expressway serving as an important artery. Owing to its immense significance in linking the two major capitals of Bengaluru and Chennai, additional space in between the lanes has been reserved for future use, so that the expressway can be expanded progressively in three phases to cater more traffic. Initially, upon completion in August 2025, it will have four lanes. Then, it is estimated to be expanded to six lanes by 2037, and ultimately, to eight lanes by 2041, making it similar to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. Foreign investment and land prices have already been rapidly rising for both industrial and real estate activities in the three states, ever since the project was finalised in 2022. Notable places include Hoskote, the town where the expressway originates, Melpadi in Vellore district, Ponapanthangal in Ranipet district and Sriperumbudur, the ending point of the expressway, in Tamil Nadu, which will be major intersection points for transfers and projects. The Ranipet SIPCOT Estate has already received heavy investments from both domestic and foreign companies, such as Tata Motors' new vehicle manufacturing plant, to come up there by 2026-27.