Frequent travellers between India's silicon valley Bengaluru and Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada are in for good news. Work is all set to begin on the Vijayawada-Bengaluru expressway for which the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has invited bids. The expressway, also called the BKV (Bangalore-Kadapa-Vijayawada) expressway, will reduce travel time between the two cities by 50 per cent from 12 hours on the existing route to just 6 hours.
The six-lane expressway will be 342 kilometres long and cost around ₹19,200 crore. ((Sakib Ali/HT Photo)(Image for representation))
The six-lane expressway will be 342 kilometres long and will cost around ₹19,200 crore, The Economic Times reported. The proposal for the project has been cleared promptly by Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. The state government in Andhra Pradesh is all set to acquire land to begin construction.
The NHAI is carrying out the project in 14 packages, of which it has invited bids for four, under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). The model allows the NHAI to pay 40 per cent of the total expenditure, to be released in ten equal installments, while the remaining 60 per cent has to be arranged by the contractor.
The project is being constructed under Bharatmala Pariyojana (BMP) Phase-2, and connects Bengaluru with Andhra Pradesh's Rayalaseema area.
The expressway will also touch towns such as Kodikonda, Pulivendula, Mallepali, Vangapadu, Addanki, Chilakaluripet and Guntur. If all goes according to schedule, the expressway is expected to be opened for public use by 2025 - 2026.
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.
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Home/Cities/Bengaluru News/NHAI floats tender for Vijayawada-Bengaluru expressway, travel in 6 hrs: Report
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